Full text of "High-Fidelity-1954-Oct"

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Eigh l'u\v\'\\\)

OCTOBER 50 CENTS

. . . and for magnetic
DATA RECORDING
it pays to specify

Type E

audiotape

♦Extra Precision magnetic re-
cording lape for telemetering,
electronic computers and other
specialized applications.

• Specially produced from the
most carefully selected materials
and ingredients, to meet the most
exacting requirements for uni-
formity and freedom from micro-
scopic voids or imperfections.
Available in any desired
width, on standard plas-
tic base and on 1, IVi
and 2 mil "Mylar". Ask
for Bulletin No. 207.

or plastic base

BALANCED PERFORMANCE preserves the
full brilliance of the original live sound

audiotape's oxide coating has been developed and perfected to
-fx provide maximum uniformity of response throughout the en-
tire audible frequency range. This assures utmost realism in the
reproduction of every sound — brings out the best in any tape
recorder.

Now this same truly fine performance can be obtained in a tape
of exceptional strength, stability and permanence — Audiotape on
"Mylar" polyester film! Almost unbreakable and virtually immune
to extremes of temperature and humidity, this new polyester tape
has already found many profitable applications in the professional
recording field. It is available on 1, VA and 2 mil "Mylar", in 300
to 2500 foot reels. Ask your dealer for Audiotape bulletin No. 201;
or write to:

tDuPonl trade mark jor their polyester film

AUDIO DEVICES, Inc.

444 MADISON AVE., NEW YORK 22, N. Y.
Offices in Hollywood — Chicogo
Export Dept., 13 Eost 40th St., New York lo, N.Y.. Cablei "ARLAB"

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Since 1935

the Garrard has been
sold and serviced
throughout the United States.
It is recognized every-
where for superior
performance, rugged ness
and reliability.

"RIGHTS" and ' WRONGS"
of record changer design
(important in protect ng your records).

RIGHT:

Garrard Precision Pusher Platform
the only record changing device that Insures
positive, gentle handling of records with standard
center holes

WRONG:

"Overhead Bridges" (as on ordinary changers)
. . , which may damage or dislodge records
accidentally.

RIGHT:

Garrard removable and interchangeable
spindles . Easily nsertedi accommodate all
records, ail sizes, as they were made to be
played; pull out instantly to facilitate removal ol
records from turntable.

WRONG:

Fixed Spindles (as on ordinary changers) . .
which require ripping records upwards over
metallic spindle projections after playing.

Other Garrard features include: 4 polf motor
—no rumble, no Induced hum • heavy drive shaft
—no wows, no waves - weighted turntable—
flywheel action, c entrant speed • mutlnf switch
—silence between records • silent automatic
stop-shuts off after last record; no disturbing
"plop1* • easy stylus weight adjustment-pro-
tects long-playing records • balance demounted
tone arm— true tangent tracking • universal shall
-fits all popular high fidelity cartridges

s Finest Record Changer

rdially invited to visit the British Industries Corp. exhibits at the Chicago Sight
position^ Sept. 30-Oct. 2jNew York Audio Fair,(Oct. 14-17)New England (Boston)
: Show, (Oct. 22-24 ) See and hear Britain's finest audio equipment, including:

WHARFEDALE LOUDSPEAKERS ... designed and built under the personal super-
vision of G. A. Briggs ... world renowned authority on sound. Wharfeaale Loudspeakers
offer the unique construction feature of cloth suspension— a felt buffer between speaker
frame and cone— and cast chassis.

LEAK TL/lO —High fidelity AMPLIFIER Complete with "Point One" REMOTE CON-
TROL PRE AMPLIFIER. Most economical amplifier combination ever built by Leak.
Harmonic distortion only one tenth of one Percent. Insures flawless reproduction.
EXCLUSIVE FEATURE! Convenient tape recorder jacks (input and output) on front panel
for instantaneous usel

R.J LOUDSPEAKER ENCLOSURES— "Maximum Bass— Minimum Space" Hearing
it believingi R-J Speaker Enclosures have established an entirety new trend in audio
design with thrilling performance from ony loudspeaker. Bookshelf and Floor Model!.
THE R-J WHARFEDALE. . . Firit and only complete R-J until Two great producti-
ve R-J single ihelf ENCLOSURE and a special WHARFEDALE SPEAKER hove been
brilliantly matched in this ... the definitive combination among compact high-
performance speakers.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

WRITE FOR A COPY OF
"SOUND CRAFTSMANSHIP"

Mail coupon today fcr a complimentary
copy of "Sound Craftsmanship" 16
pages illustrating and describing oil
products of the British Industries Group.

BRITISH INDUSTRIES CORP., Dept.HF-10
164 Duane Street
New York 13, N. Y.

Please send "Sound Craftsmanship" to:

Name

You're in the best of company if you use a Pickering /^w^ Cartridge. You have this in common with:

1. Leading record companies who use Pickering Cartridges for quality control.

1. Leading FM/AM (joo</ music stations and network studios.

3. Leading manufacturers of professional equipment for radio stations, record-
ing studios, u'ired music systems and automatic phonographs, who install
Pickering Cartridges for the maximum performance of their equipment.

My Pickering Pickups are the Choice of Recording and Broadcast Engineers!

"All modern disc recordings are made with /^feS^Zg precise laboratory measurements. This is why Picker-
cutters. Within the geometrical and mechanical lim- ing/^^%? Pickups provide the most nearly perfect
itations of recording and reproducing equipment, a coupling possible, between reproducing equipment
Pickering Pickup will re-generate an exact replica of and original program. This is why they sound cleaner

cutter response to the original program of ... less distorted,

music, speech or sound. This is a fundamentally in- "Through the medium of the disc material, the re-

herent characteristic of the Pickering Pickup, sup- producing system is effectively driven by the cutter

ported by basic electromagnetic theory and countless electrical response itself."

PICKERING and company incorporated • Oeeannide, L.I., \eit> York

PICKERING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO COMPONENTS

Mrde. am{4em M& d//$e?ww

» . . Demonstroted and sold by leoding Rodio Paris Distributors everywhere. For the one nearest you ond for detailed literature; write Dept. H-5.

, High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

HE M A G A Z I

The Cover. Photographer Walter D. Burs-
ten took the cover color-picture of Emory
Cook, recording one of the quieter parts of
The Voice of the Sea, on Shippan Point near
Stamford, Conn. He*d rather have accom-
panied Cook to Mt. Washington, to shoot
some thunderheads (see page 49) but the
weatherman refused to encourage the deal.
No storms.

This Issue. Approximately five inches down
from here is an entry about which we are
extraordinarily happy: Roland Gelatt, New
York Editor. Mr. Gelatt, who left a posi-
tion as feature editor of the Saturday Review
to join us, has been busy through Septem-
ber finishing his history of the phonograph.
As of October 1 he begins covering the vital
Gotham area for us. You'll be noticing the
results — among them, a Gelatt column on
doings in musical and recording circles, title
undecided — at the time of this writing.

Next Issue. A Stravinsky discography, by
Alfred Frankenstein, will be occasion for
our most striking cover to date. We expect
to offer also Fred Grunfeld on the subject
of the late Charles Ives, his music and its
recordings; Irving Fried on the topic of
turntables and pickups; and — definitely,
this time — Peter Bartok on why records
sound like records.

Charles Fowler, Publisher

John M. Conly, Editor

Roy H. Hoopes, Jr., Managing Editor

Roy F. Allison, Associate Editor

Roy LindstrOm, Art Director

Editorial Assistants
Miriam D. Manning, Cora R. Hoopes

Roland Gelatt, New York'Editor

Contributing Editors
C. G. Burke
James G. Deane
James Hinton, Jr.

Mansfield E. Pickett, Director of
Advertising Sales

Warren B. Syer, Business Manager

Frank R. Wright, Circulation Manager

Branch Offices (Advertising only): New York:
Room 600, 6 East 89th Street. Telephone:
Murray Hill 5-6832. Fred C. Mirhalove, Eastern
Manager. - Chicago: 5449 W. Augusta Blvd. Tele-
phone: Columbus 1-1779. Charles Kline, Mid-
Western Manager. - Los Angeles: 1052 West 6th
Street. Telephone: Madison 6-1371. Edward Brand.
West Coast Manager.

\\\

High 3\tM\\\\

OR MUSIC LISTENERS

Volume 4 Number 8

October 1954

Noted With Interest 4

AUTHORitatively Speaking 10

Letters 24

As The Editors See It 45

Read All About It, by James Hinton, J r 46

For listeners who'd like to be literate about music, so very
many books have been written that a little guidance may
be welcome.

Adventurers in Sound, by John M. Conly 46

Emory Cook: Brahms, Thunderheads and Cachalot Courtship,

Custom Installations 52

The Orchestra Came Last, by Roland Gelatt 54

Not till the phonograph's third decade did anyone even
try to put a symphony on disks.

Orpheus In The Underworld, by Martin S. Dworkin 57

Arias and overtures among the pinball machines.

The Other Side of the Sleeve, by Alfred Frankenstein 59

Letter From A Composer Who Shall be Nameless,

by Anthony F. Fazio 60

Records In Review 61

Tested In The Home 103

University Companion
Mitchell 3-DB Phonograph
James B. Lansing "Hartsfield"
Pickering 190D Arm and 132E Compensator
Regency HF-150 Amplifier
The Phonomat
Magnecord M80 Recorder
Bozak B-207A 2-Way Speaker
Cousino Tape Splicer
SELA Stroboscope
Rauland 1826 Amplifier System

Books In Review 135

Audio Forum 142

Professional Directory 1 50, 151

FM Station Directory 152

Traders' Marketplace 153

Advertising Index 155

High Fidelity Magazine is published monthly by Audiocom, Inc., at Great Barrington. Mass. Telephone:
Great Barrington 1300. Editorial, publication, and circulation offices at: The Publishing House, Great
Barrington, Mass. Subscriptions: $6.00 per year in the United States and Canada. Single copies: 50 cents
each. Editorial contributions will be welcomed by the editor. Payment for articles accepted will be ar-
ranged prior to publication. Unsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied by return postage. En-
tered as second-class matter April 27, 1951 at the post office at Great Barrington, Mass., under the act
of March 3. 1879. Additional entry at the post office, Pittsfield, Mass. Member Audit Bureau of Circula-
tion. Printed in the U. S. A. by The Ben Franklin Press. Pittsfield. Mass. Copyright 1954 by Audiocom,
Inc. The cover design and contents of High Fidelity magazine are fully protected by copyrights and must
not be reproduced in any manner.

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

for silence and unwavering speed

no changer

compares
with a

THOR|N5

Whether you seek your first record changer or wish to replace your
present unit, you should know these important facts about the Thorens
Record Changer. It is the world's most silent changer, with a noise
level far below any other changer. Thorens' direct-drive motor makes
the important difference. The inadequacies of conventional phono
motors have been recognized, but it remained for the skillful Swiss to
create this incomparable direct-drive unit for all playing speeds. Be-
cause these are integrated, precision-built units, Thorens Changers can
be made uniformly . . . without variation in quality from unit to unit.

What Makes a Thorens So Silent?

The design of the direct-drive motor reduces all sources of noise. Direct-
drive permits a slower turning rotor, therefore vibration is minimized.
Precisely balanced, positioned, machined, fast-rotating parts . . . plus
cast-iron frame, eliminate the major source of rumble. There are no
rubber belts, pulleys, idler wheels (or other elements common to rim or
friction-drive units) to cause unwanted noise or speed variation due to
wear or slippage. Elimination of "weak sister" parts also adds dura-
bility. Lastly, a mechanical filter adjacent to the electronically-balanced
rotor shaft provides freedom from undesirable gear vibrations and
noise. If you are a music lover who appreciates the true meaning of
"high fidelity" . . . the Thorens Changer is for you . . . because it is the
only true high fidelity changer.

All Thorens units are powered by the direct-drive motor

CD-43 High Fid. Illy
3. Speed

Record Changer

CBA-83 Automatic I
Player — Control button |
for each record size ac-
tuate! turntable, loweri
tone arm. After play,
arm lifti, motor ihuti
off. Adjustable tracking.

E-53PA Transcription
Turntable — comparable
to other professional
models costing many
times more.

Also available: C8-33G,
CB-33P, C8-33S Manual
Record Players.

See your Deoler —
Write for new brochure.

THOR|N5

COMPANY

DEPT. HF. NEW HYDE PARK. N. Y.

Sec us in Room 541.
N.Y. Audio Fair.
Hotel New Yorker
Oct. 1417

We'll put up some hard cash (or a life-
time subscription to High Fidelity)
to back up a bet: that the first 3
min. and 16 sec. of Side 2 of RCA
Victor's new LM 1802 will be worn
down, clear through to Side 1, before
most hi-fi fans go on to discover what's
on the rest of the record. Particularly
if they play the three bands, which
comprise those opening minutes, in
reverse order.

LM 1802 is RCA Victor's high fidel-
ity demonstration record. Side 2
starts off with three pairs of sound
tracks. The first track begins with a
sweep frequency running from 20 to
18,000 cycles and is immediately fol-
lowed by a brief full-orchestra selec-
tion recorded wide open — full fre-
quency range. The second "pair" is a
tone sweep from 100 to 8,000 cycles
followed by the same orchestral selec-
tion recorded with a frequency range
restricted to the same 100 to 8,000
cycles. The third pair is the tone sweep
and orchestra sequence, but with the
frequency range restricted to low fidel-
ity: 200 to 5,000 cycles.

We can foresee what is going to hap-
pen as soon as this record becomes
widely available: every dedicated high
fidelity enthusiast will own one so
when Joe, his low-fi neighbor comes
around, he can get busy with the in-
doctrination business. Like this:
"Look, Joe, here's what you hear on
that piece of junk you've got at your
place . . ." (Play 200-5,000 cps tracks.)
"Now, there's a lot of good stuff on
the market these days. It would sound
like this . . ." (Hit the 100-8,000 cps
grooves.) "But if you'd fix yourself
up right, with a system like mine, just
listen to what you'd get . . ." (Fol-
low with the first track on the record.)

We're sort of sorry that the record
wasn't arranged with these three pairs
in the order "played" above, because
that way the impact of high fidelity
reproduction is better displayed. And
maybe someone will do another record

Continued on page 10

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Without any obligation to ever buy another record from os— now or
later — you can now obtain all the advantages of trial membership.

NOW YOU can get a real siart on
a complete record collection for
only a dollar. Yes. You get ALL
EIGHT of these great masterpieces
— complete to the last note — for
only $1.00. Just imagine — NOT
$1 each, hut $1 for ALL EIGHT!

Of course, this price bears no
relation to the value of the record-
ings. Even for TWENTY times that
amount, you could not buy these
masterpieces in recordings of equal
quality.

Why We Moke This Amoting Offer

Actually we were FORCED to make this
'five-away" offer ... for two reasons : (1)
Only by putting our recordings in your
hands can we convince you how extraordi-
nary their tonal quality is. Performed by
internationally, renowned orchestras. con-
ductors, and soloists. Custom -pressed on
the purest vinyl plastic. Reproduced with a
fidelity of tone which encompasses the en-
tire range of human hearing ... 50 to
15.000 cycles!

(2) We want to show you how our new
trial membership plan works. As a trial
member, you are not obligated to buy any
other recordings from us- now or later! You
do, however, have the right to try — free of
charge — any of the Society's monthly selec-
tions which interest you. You receive prior
notice of these. You pay nothing in advance.
And you are not obligated to keep those you
try . . . even after you have played them
and read the interesting music notes which
accompany each selection. You pay only for
those which — after having tried them- -you
decide you really want to own. And for

these. yr>u pay only the low member's price
of SI. 50 per long-playing disc, embodying
on the average abniil JO minutes of mniic by
the great masters, i savings of about % off
the usual retail price!

There Shalt Be Music In Your Home
Think how much beauty and serenity these
recordings will add to your life— at a trifling
coiit. Think how they leill set your family
apart as one interested in the belter things
of life. Think what a cultural advantage your
children will gain hy having great music as
tin everyday inspiration.

Mail Coupon Now

Of course, we cunnot keep "handing out" inch mag-
nificent long-playing recordings indefinitely. Once our
nibership rclls are filled- and th«y are limited by
* i iff or will have to be with-
. rtn-h

dollar today.

The Musical Masterpiece Society. Inc.
Dept. UI0. 43 West 61st Street
New York 23. N. \ .

r producti

capacity-
id disappointment.

MUSIC IN YOUR HOME"
by O/in Downes

iil coupon at once. You
will receive FREE, a fa*ci<
nating brochure written by
the dean of American
music critics. Olin Downes.
It is a guide to the valuable
music.! i annotation* and
program notes which come
free of charge with every
selection. I'repared by emi-
nent musicologists, these
will in time provide you
and your children with a
well-rounded course in
music appreciation and
musical histnr;

The Musical Masterpiece Society, Inc.
Dept. 1110, 43 W. 61st St., New York 23, N.
ALL EIGHT FOR $1.00

BRAHMS
Academic Festival Overture

WAGNER
Die Meistersinger, Prelude,
Act 1
SCHUBERT
Symphony No. 8
MOZART
Piano Concerto in E Flat

OUKAS
Sorcerer's Apprentice
MOUSSORGSKY
Night on Bald Mountain
BEETHOVEN
"Ruins of Athens"
( march, choir)
BACH

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

1 enclose 91.00 as complete payment; please send me the
recordings of the eight great masterpieces listed above. Also
enroll me as a Trial Member.

I am not obligated to buy any other recordings from the
Society. I am to receive an advance description of future
monthly selections. 1 may try any of these— free of charge-
without paying a penny in advance. 1 may reject any recording
before or after 1 receive it. And I may cancel my trial member-
ship at any time.

In the future, for each selection I decide to keep — 1 will pa;-
special member's price of only 81.50 plua few cents hipping
charges ... a saving of % off the usual retail price!

Name
Address

City

IN CANADA addres

Zone

686 Bathurst St.. Toi

State
nio4.0nt. 1110

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

owe

III true "Corner" Speaker Systems whwh utilize llie walls as part oj the amplifying and dispersion set-up,
I heir origin lo Maximilian Weil, who invented this system in 1925 • • • All high fidelity television and radio sound
systems utilizing a small diaphragm (tweeter) for high frequencies and a large diaphragm (woofer) for low frequen-
cies, owe their origin lo the Weil 2-Way Electronic Reproducer System (1927-8) • • • The first Electronic
Reproducer introduced commercially (1927) was by Weil, who developed the uorld-fanwus Chromatic Reproducer
only a few years ago and who recently perfected a higher output Chromatic Reproducer, the Hi-Q7 • • • Maximih
ian Weil has scores oj other inventions to his credit and this latest, described on the facing page, is as important lo music
reproduction as it is simple.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Introducing . . .

Micro-Poise

(STYLUS BALANCE)

Stylus pressure is the No. 1 factor in record wear
and in stylus durability. It is established that over
6d% of cartridges now in use operate with too light
or too heavy point pressure. The result of either —
stylus and record destruction! A 50^ sub-normal
stylus pressure causes almost three times more wear.
50^ ahove-normal pressure virtually doubles the
wear — hence the high importance of periodic
checking of stylus pressure.

Until now it has been impossible to check point pres-
sure closer than 2 or 3 grams, one way or the other.
When the point pressure was an ounce or two (28 to
56 grams) such small error was of little consequence
— but with today's "feather touch" pressure a dif-
ference of 2 or 3 grams means 30% to 50% off-cor-
rect! Weil's new MICRO-POISE obtains — for
ANYONE — the correct stylus pressure as specified
by the cartridge manufacturer himself. NOT a scale,
but a simple indicator of the one thing it is so im-
portant to he sure of — that the stylus pressure is
neither too light nor too heavy — but CORRECT!

guig Hi Q7 inlo proper balance with MICRO-ltHSK

,Yo Sprintfs

\o Scale ttt Hvad

... Xnthina to Hold

Basically, MICRO-POISE works like a pharma-
cist's balance. Precision all-metal construction
performs, in one simple step, the stylus-saving,
record-sparing function so long awaited by record
enthusiasts. As a stroboscope indicates correct-
nss of turntable speed — so Micro-Poise indicates
correctness or incorrectness of stylus pressure.

FINISHED IN GOLD • NET . . . $4.80

Room 6*9 at the New York AUDIO FAIR

A I II A K <: O M PA X Y

FREE "Electronic Phono Fads" 5()() Fifth Avenue Dept. HF New York 36, N. Y.

at your dealer . . .

or write us direct "Creators of Fine Audio-Electronic Apparatus for Over 25 Years"

www.americanradiohistorv.com

"HI-FI IS FOR EVERYBODY" . . .

says Robert Newcomb

. . . Regardless of budget, way of life, or
space limitations. Ownership of a true
high fidelity system no longer requires an
extensive technical background. In fact,
today it doesn't even require more than a
moderate expenditure to enjoy the won-
derful realism of high fidelity.

Look over these new Hi-Fi Products and
you'll see that Robert Newcomb not only
believes that Hi-Fi is for everybody . . . but
has a complete line of products to prove it.

Whatever your Hi-Fi plan, whatever
your Hi-Fi budget, Newcomb is right
there with the right amplifier.

FOR SUPERIOR
RADIO RECEPTION . . .

0jjf CLASSIC 200

rlGM- 2 KNOB FM-AM TUNER

$169.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

Designed for use with any amplifier having its
own complete set of controls. It's today's most
advanced tuner. Designed and built by Newcomb
. . . Completely new. distinctly different, and
noticeably better! Fully enclosed and beautifully
finished to use "as is!' To place in a cabinet,
Newcomb's exclusive "Adjusta-Panel" feature
makes a simpler, neater job. U/L approved. Out-
put is 10 volts at less than M%. 1 volt at less
than 4/100%. Effective to 200 ft. from amplifier.

Many new circuit advances have been made in
both KM and AM sections. Results: 30 db of
quieting with only V* micro-volts input on FM.
1 Microvolt AM sensitivity for 1 volt output.
Only d%" high by 114* by

FOR TRUE STEREOPHONIC
REPRODUCTION. ..

MODEL 3D-12, 25 WATT
2 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER

$179.50

AUOIOPHILE

Really two complete matched 12H watt ampli-
fiers and preamplifiers in one. Common set of
control knobs for both amplifiers offers easier
operation, perfect results. AH normal controls
are provided plus new "focus" control. Channel
selector switch gives operator choice of stereo-
phonic reproduction, stereophonic reversed,
Channel A, Channel B, or enhanced 2 channel
monaural for simulated stereophonic reproduc-
tion of ordinary records. Dual tape "inputs" and
dual "outputs" to tape make the 3D- 12 ideal for
use with the new "Binaural" tape recorders.
Crossover selector provides various recording
curves for both channels. Special switch provides
correction for Cook Binaural recordings. Distor-
tion below 1% at 25 watts. Response ±1 db
20-20.000 cycles.

NEWCOMB 0#44tc Setter amplifiers..

WITH REMOTE CONTROL OR

These remote controlled Newcomb Classic Series Amplifiers offer
matchless performance and complete sound control . . . music
exactly as you want to hear it. Words can't describe these superb
products. Both give you: True remote control up to 50 or 100 ft.;
Separate crossover and rollofT controls for up to 36 different
recording curves; New "Level" control; Advanced design Loud-
ness control; New rumble filter; Seven inputs; Mike input; Tape
"Input"; "Output" to tape; No-Glare petite pilot light; and they're

U/L approved. Only your ears can convince you Hi-Fi can be so
close to perfection. For utmost pride . . . for classic beauty . . . for
luxurious operating ease and utmost listening pleasure . . . for sub-
stantial savings in cabinetry and installation expense . . . for lowest
distortion for life . . . Own a Newcomb Classic Series Remote Con-
trolled Amplifier. Don't fail to see and hear these premier products
of Newcomb's 17 years of sound leadership.

CLASSIC 2500-R

$297.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

25 watt Ultra Fidelity Remote Controlled Amplifier-
Preamplifier • Less than 1/100% distortion up to
10 watts, less than 2/10% at 20 watts • 10 to 100.000
cycle response within 1/10 db from 10 to 30,000
cycles • Program condition compensator • Un-
equalled dual range tone controls, Bass range —16 db
to +23 db. Treble range -25 db to + 23 db • D. C.
operated preamplifier.

' "AUDi-
BAIANCE"

for
LIFETIME
FREEDOM
from
DISTORTION!

CLASSIC 1500-R

$197.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

20 watt Ultra- Fidelity Remote Controlled Ampli-
fier-Preamplifier • Less than 5/100% distortion
at average listening levels • Less than H% dis-
tortion at 15 watts • 10 to 100,000 cycle response
within 1 db to 30,000 cycles • Dual range tone
controls, Bass range —17 db to +20 db. Treble
range —20 db to +18 db • Ultra conservative
design for extended tube life.

Hew

CLASSIC R-7

$139.50

DIOPHILE NET

Remofe Controlled Ultra-fidolity Prm-AmplMoe

Bring your present amplifier up to date with a
new "Mont end" The New Classic R-7 Remote
Master Control Unit and Pre-Amplifier offers
guaranteed results, the most modern of circuitry,
tremendous range of control . . . plus operating
and cabinet saving advantages of real remote
control. All inputs connect directly to the power
supply chassis only. Beautiful control unit is a
decorator's delight.

Newcomb Classic Series Amplifiers with their ex-
clusive "Audi-Balance" (Pat. Pending) distortion
control device assures you of absolute minimum
distortion for life! No matter how perfect your
amplifier when new, its distortion is bound to in-
crease with age. During the useful life of a set of
tubes, output tube unbalance is the greatest single
cause for amplifier distortion being above the mini-
mum of which the amplifier is capable. Aging can
unbalance a set of tubes and replacement pairs are

seldom sufficiently identical twins to balance auto-
matically.

With Newcomb's exclusive "Audi-Balance" fea-
ture for lifetime distortion control, you are not left
to guess whether your amplifier is continuing to
provide the lowest distortion possible. You know by
just pressing a button! What's more, you can do
something about it . . . instantly ... by just turning
a small control and listening to the distortion dis-
appear !

www.americanradiohistorv.com

TtetV NEWCOMB "COMPACTS"...

For Use "As Is"... Need No Cabinetry!

With these "Compacts!' Newcomb makes true Hi-Fi via se-
lected components practical for everyone. They're simplest of
all to install. Just sit down, plug in and use. They need no
cabinetry but include Newcomb's exclusive "Adjusta-Panel"
feature to make installation in a cabinet extremely easy if
necessary. Both U/L approved. They're absolutely ideal for
the apartment dweller because they're so easy to set up or move.

COMPACT 12

$99.50 a

UDIOPHILE NET

COMPACT 10

$79.50 AUDIOPHILE NET

12 Watt High Fidelity Amplifier-
Preamplifier-Control Unit. * Less than
1% distortion at 12 watts • Response
±1 db 20-20,000 cycles • Separate
crossover and roll off controls give 36
different recording curves • Input
selector and rumble filter • Seven in-
puts * Mike input • Tape input • Out-
put to tape • Wide range separate
bass and treble tone controls, Bass
range -15 db to +18 db. Treble
range —18 db to +16 db • Hum bal-
ance control • New "Level" control
• Advanced design "loudness" con-
trol • Size only 4%" high x 12!4*x9".

10 Watt High Fidelity Amplifier-
Preamplifier- Control Unit. * 10 watts
at less than 1% distortion • Response
±1 db 20-20.000 cycles « 6 position
recording curve selector • Input selec-
tor * Built-in rumble filter • Separate
bass and treble tone controls in new
"Interlocked" tone circuitry for "fool-
proof" results and less frequent need
for tone control adjustments • Hum
balance control • 6 inputs • Tape input
* Output to tape • Mike input • Loud-
ness control • Size 3V x 7*1" x

FOR PERFECTION IN EVERY DETAIL

. WITHOUT REMOTE CONTROL

Identical to the Classic 2500-R and Classic 1500-R without
remote control, the Classic 2500 and Classic 1500 offer full
Classic Series perfection in every detail at lowest possible cost.
All controls are on chassis. They also feature Newcomb's
exclusive "Adjusta-Panel" that lets you instantly extend knob
shafts to accommodate cabinet panels up to */<" thick. Dial
panel is removable, beautifully finished in "gold" anodizing
process that never tarnishes. Panels include petite pilot light.
Both U/L approved. All ratings identical to the equivalent
remote control models.

7U*

CLASSIC 2500

CLASSIC 1500

$219.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

$119.50

AUOIOPHILE NET

Tfea NEWCOMB "A" SERIES

For the Budget Minded Perfectionist

MODEL A-127R 12 watt Semi-Remote Controlled High Fi-
delity Amplifier-Preamplifier.

LISTEN J^*i.\ sJ . . and you'll hear something wonderful!

NEWCOMB

Sound Quality Since 1937

$89.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

12 watts at less than 1% distor-
tion * Control unit on 4 ft. cable
solves many installation problems •
20-20.000 cycles ± 1 db • 6 position
recording curve selector * Input and
rumble filter selector * Large potted
output transformer • Advanced design
tone controls, Bass range —15 db to
+ 18 db; Treble range -18 db to +16
db • 6 inputs * Tape input • Output
to tape • Mike input • Loudness con-
trol ■ Loudness compensation switch

• "Adjusta-Panel" • Removable
"gold" anodized dial plate * Hum
balance control • "Petite" pilot light

• U/L approved.

MODEL A-107

DIOPHILE NET

MODEL A-127

$79.50

AUDIOPHILE NET

Identical to A-127R except all con-
trols are on chassis.

10 Watt High Fidelity Amplifier-
Preamplifier. 10 watts at less than
1% distortion * 6 position recording
curve selector * Potted output trans-
former ■ New electrically isolated in-
put circuitry requires no input switch-
ing . . . Just turn on and use • 6 Inputs
• Tape input • Output to tape • Mike
input * Separate bass and treble tone
controls with new "Interlocked"
circuitry for foolproof operation ■
Adjusta-Panel • Removable "gold"
anodized dial panel • Petite pilot
light ■ U/L approved.

NEW, FASCINATING,
INFORMATIVE BOOK
ON HI-FI ... 25c

This 25f? book can save Hi-Fi
enthusiasts and music lovers
hundreds of dollars. Not a
catalog, "Hi-Fi Is For Every-
body" is packed with money-
saving facts, how-to illustra-
tions and suggestions. Written
in easy-to-understand lan-
guage, this new, practical ap-
proach to Hi-Fi tells how to
get more for each dollar in-
vested in components, how to
cut costs without sacrificing
quality or looks, how to plan

the simplest system with an
eye toward building the most
elaborate. Beautifully illus-
trated. Handy cost-estimating
sheet makes it easy to keep
track of purchases and budget!

NEWCOMB AUDIO PRODUCTS CO., DEPT. W10
6824 Lexington Ave., Hollywood 38, California

□ I am enclosing $ Please send me copies

of "Hi-Fi Is For Everybody" @ 25<* each.

□ Please send me free catalog MCS54 on Newcomb High
Fidelity Components.

Name

Address _
City

_ZONE_

_State

www.americarrradiohistorv.com

send for the most widely used
High Fidelity Buying Guide

ALL! ED'S 1955

308-PAGE
CATALOG

world's largest stocks
of complete
music systems
and high fidelity
components . . .

ALWAYS AVAILABLE

Send today for your free copy of our latest Catalog.
It's virtually a complete Sound Exposition, offering America's
largest selection of matched-component complete music systems,
as well as all available quality amplifiers, reproducers,
enclosures, FM and AM tuners, record-playing equipment,
recorders and the fullest selection of accessories. If it's anything in
High Fidelity, or anything in the field of Electronics, you'll
find it in your 1955 allied Catalog- -at lowest, money-sa\ing
prices. Write for your free copy today

EXPERT HI-FI HELP!

Whether you moke your Hi-Fi selec-
tions in person at our Sound Studios —
or from our catalog — our audio tpe-
ciolists will help you to select the
equipment thai will completely satisfy
your personal listening desires — and
save you money.

ALLIED'S ingenious "Audlfioners"
permit listening to every possible com-
bination of audio components to help
select the very best for you.

ALLIED RADIO

100 N. Western Ave., Dept. 49-K-4
Chicago 80, Illinois

World's leading High Fidelity specialists ^

AUTHORitatively Speaking

Martin S. Dworkin lives in Greenwich
Village and comes uptown as infrequently
as possible. Frequently enough, however,
to have discovered the operatic dime-arcade
beneath Times Square that he describes on
page 57. The photographs are his, too; he's
a member of the Society of Photographic
Engineers. He does a great deal of free-lance
writing, which has been published in nearly
every English-speaking country, and is the
movie-critic of The Progressive. His past
includes epistemological research, profes-
sional weightlifting and a job with the
State Department.

Anthony F. Fazio, whose quasi-Tchaikov-
sky letter on page 60 may infuriate some PIT
devotees, loves music but is a hard man on
composers. He thinks most modernists are
frauds, for instance, and (obviously) that
many pasr masters were pretty tasteless
characters away from their music desks.
Born and raised in Newark, N. J., he is
currently absorbed in writing short stories,
an occupation he relieves, occasionally, with
a crisp game of postal chess.

To get the vital statistics on Adventurer-
in-Sound Emory Cook, editor John Conly
interviewed him at lunch in a western New
York wayside restaurant (Cook was in
transit northward to record a story-teller
in Albany). Rerurning rather late, Conly
met business manager Warren Syer, who
asked where he had been. With the beatific
look of a man savoring an opportunity
never to be enjoyed again, Conly replied:
"Oh, I was over in Hillsdale, gassing with
Cookf

NOTED WITH INTEREST

Continued from page 4

like this one with more tracks similar
to these, having different cut-offs at
low and high ends. Incidentally, you'd
expect the cut-off at the high end to be
much more obvious and dramatic than
that at the low end. It's there all right,
but the loss of body, if we may call it
that, as the lows are cut is surprisingly
noticeable.

There's plenty of interest on the
rest of the record, by the way! The
balance of Side 2 is devoted to vocal
and pops samplings. Side 1 includes
an orchestral suite, Adventure in High
Fidelity, composed by Robert Russell
Bennett on commission of RCA Vic-
tor and a series of 16 brief episodes for
solo instruments (mostly) using the-
matic materials selected from The Nut-
cracker Suite and arranged by Bennett.
The sum total is a wonderful "study"
record which provides plenty of op-
portunity to hear the instruments of
the orchestra individually and com-
bined into a whole.

Accompanying the album is a long,

Continued on page 13
High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

The AMPEX 600— The fast
truly porfobfe tape recorder capable of meeting the highest
profetsionoi demands. It is usable either as a portable
or in a custom installation — either vertical or
horizontal. It plays through an external amplifier and speaker.

The AMPEX 620— A portable
amplifier-speaker unit of comparable high quality. It is furnished
in matched portable case, weighs 19 pounds and provides
remarkable high fidelity in a convenient size.
Prices: Ampex 600; unmounted $495; in portable case $545
Ampex 620 amplifier-speaker in portable ccie $149.50

for perfectionists only

It's in a class completely by itself. For instance, the
Ampex 600 records 30 to 15,000 cycles at 7Vi in sec.
Signal-to-noise ratio is over 55 db. Flutter and
wow js less than 0.25%. But what matters most is
what you hear. There is a monitoring switch on
the face of the Ampex 600. Turn it, and you can
compare what goes in and what comes out. You
will hear no difference. Fidelity is "perfect"—
and this is a portable machine that weighs less
than 28 pounds.

Though there is a wide selection of tape recorders that
can be bought for less, there are great numbers of
discerning high fidelity enthusiasts who will hear the
difference. And they will want an Ampex 600 and no other.

Ilvi-v i« iclml -^Icltndt lllvtiiilini.

h'tifLI /furious violi iiikI. nans:

"For years I have been seeking a portable recorder to
use in practice and rehearsal. In the new Ampex
600, I finally found what I've been looking for— a
unit which reproduces music with complete fidelity.
Even on tour I practice with Ampex."

AlM I "Bl ^^r^ ^Jignatlliv of^7l>rJi'ction in ^iri/M' Jsecorders

£ ^fcl l l ^ >f^m i For complete specifications, write today to Dept. F-1886

( OKI-ORATION

Distributors in principal cities (see your local
telephone directory under "Recording Equipment")

AMPEX CORPORATION • 934 CHARTER ST. • REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

NOTED WITH INTEREST

Continued from page 10

lucid, and helpful exposition about
what high fidelity is and means, and
about the content of the record —
what to listen for — by Robert Darrell.
Price: $5.95.

Quite a package!

FM Broadcasting, cont'd.

Yes, "cont'd" . . . FM has its trou-
bles, and there are plenty of long-faces
who claim it's so stupid it hasn't sense
enough to know when it's dead. But
on the other side of the coin . . . how
about this report from Reader Ted
Shireman of San Diego, dated July 2 :
"Several important events are hap-
pening in Los Angeles area FM broad-
casting. KFMU is testing on 97.1 mc
with 58 kw.; the type of programing
has not been announced. KCBH is
operating with 50 kw on 98.7 mc,
using the transmitter site and fre-
quency of KMGM, which turned in
its license a year ago. And KFAC-FM
is increasing power to 13 kw and in-
creasing its antenna height which will
bring better service to a wide area of
Southern California. The latter two
stations are good-music stations.
KFAC has been well-known in this
field for many years and showed con-
fidence in FM by keeping its FM
station on 24 hours a day. KCBH is a
newcomer affiliated with a large record
retail firm (Crawford's of Beverly
Hills).

"San Diego still has no significant
FM activity of its own."

* * * +

And speaking of FM broadcasting,
there has been a lot of talk about cut-
ting into the FM band for one purpose
or another. Nothing specific seems to
have come of it yet . . . and a good
many High Fidelity readers are
keeping steady pressure on their Con-
gressmen. For example, Earl Petty of
Wichita joined several others in letters
to Senator Johnson of the Committee
on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Sen. Johnson passed the letters along
to Rosel Hyde, Chairman of the Fed-
eral Communications Commission,
who answered as follows (in part):

"Each of the letters has reference
to Docket No. 10832 in which it is
proposed to amend the Commission's
rules so as to permit FM broadcast sta-
tions to engage in certain specialized
non-broadcast activities during the
Continued on page 14

Hear the world's greatest music

as you've never heard it before

Symphonic Modern"
Radio- Phonograph

Magnavox brings music into your
home with all the fidelity of a master
performance in the concert hall. For
a Magnavox is an instrument in the
truest sense of the word. Without
mechanical distortion, without the
intrusion of unbalanced emphasis —
faults of many so-called high-fidelity
reproducers— Magnavox fills your liv-
ing-room with the whole of the living
performance. Whether the music is
Gilbert & Sullivan or Grieg, you hear
overtones and timbre never heard
before in record reproduction.

The new Magnavox "Symphonic
Modern," a master high-fidelity in-
strument combining AM-FM radio
with phonograph and tape recorder,
has an exceptional audio system with
two 12-inch low-frequency speakers

coupled in a cross-over network with
a high-frequency horn speaker, to
give true full-range reproduction.

Twenty watts of undistorted audio
power are produced by the high-
fidelity amplifier — full power reserve
to meet the demands of the most
expansive symphonic performance.
And you can play any size record
automatically. Famous Pianissimo
Pick-Up, with dual diamond-sapphire
styli, translates even the lowest
frequencies without distortion.

High-Fidelity Phonograph prices
start as low as $99.50. See your
Magnavox dealer — his name is listed
in your classified phone book under
"TV" or "Radio-Phonograph." The
Magnavox Company, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

"Symphonic Modern"
rivals the living perform-
ance. AM-FM radio-
phonograph with tape
recorder- re producer.
Mahogany, cherry, or
white oak $745.

You Are Years Ahead with Magnavox

Better Sound . . . Better Buy

acjnav

10 CHANGE— S I

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

^JJere is tlie j^ineit

uner ever made

tsmen ciooo

But the CI OOO is far more than just a tuner — it's the complete control center
for your High Fidelity system. Combined in one chassis is a complete pream-
plifier with four positions of record equalization, flexible tone controls, input
circuits for your television receiver, tape recorder and phonograph . . . plus
the most sensitive tuner ever offered.

Y}eW FM sensitivity: 3 mv for Audio limiting (40 db quieting)

Y}ew AM sensitivity: I mv for 20 db signal to noise ratio.

fjetv Separate Oscillators and Convertors for FM & AM.

ty]eW Dual AM band width positions: Sharp for DX'ing and
. Broad for High Fidelity

r feuf Low noise antenna input for AM.

Y]ettl Preamplifier circuit featuring grounded cathode fecd-
*~ back equalization.

flew Four position switch for accurate record equalization.
%>«/ Low distortion: Only 0.05% IM at I'/a volts output.
fjew Tape recorder output, independent of monitoring level.
flew Se mi-Military construction for maximum rugjjedness.

All the features you expect in o Craftsmen tuner: Automatic Fre-
quency Control, flywheel tuning. Cathode follower outputs, sepa-
rate RF amplifiers for FM & AM ond engineering you con trust.

LI ll difference ! AT YOUR HIGH FIDELITY DEALER

-Hear In* •^11 » OR RADIO PARTS DISTRIBUTOR...

For complete informbtioh oslc for Bulletin #5.

The Radio Craftsmen, Inc., Dept. F10
4403 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago 40, Illinois

NOTED WITH INTEREST

Continued from page 1}

times not devoted to the minimum
hours required by the Commission for
FM aural broadcasting. The proposal
would also permit the FM stations to
engage in these activities during all
authorized hours on a multiplex basis,
that is, through the transmission of an
additional signal which does not affect
the listeners of the present broadcast
service and which can be received by
persons having suitable multiplex
equipment, Thus, no reduction or
narrowing of the FM band is contem-
plated."

Kind Heart Has Coronet

In the October Coronet there are quite a
few kind words by Richard Gehman on
the burgeoning national yen tor high
fidelity sound. Of particular interest
to us is the box devoted to a "special"
hi-fi magazine published in a "big
barn" in Great Barrington, Mass. We
have never quite considered it a barn
but on flunking it over have decided
Coronet is right.

Why Hi-Fi

... is a question answered — along
with many another — in a booklet re-
cently released by Bob Newcomb
(Newcomb Audio Products). The
answer: "A high fidelity system is re-
markably economical because (a) you
save the cost of special cabinetry; (b)
you buy only what you need and can
afford; (c) obsolete components can
be replaced individually; and the big-
gest value of a hi-fi system is in the
listening." — Bob's 32-page discus-
sion of the why, what and how of a
high fidelity system is a fine, simple
exposition of basic facts and factors.
He explains the advantages; tells how
to buy components; how to budget
your system; and how to plan the
installation. The more of this sort of
material, the better.

Sequel

In our August NWI column, we
printed a letter from Mrs. Verne
Robinett of Cuyahoga Falls. Ohio, in
which she offered to give away a
$5,000 record collection left by the
untimely death of her son. We have

Continued on page 16

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

50% more tape
on same size reel!

New, thinner magnetic tape cuts time-wasting reel changes!

Xo more stopping for reel change when you're
recording longer sports and news events, dramatic
productions and musical works. New "Scotch"
Brand Kxtra-I'lay Magnetic Tape No. 190A
reduces time-consuming change-over breaks by
giving you 50% more recording time on each reel.

Secret of new "Scotch" Brand's extra playing

time is a more potent oxide coating which offers
improved frequency response, yet is 50% thin-
ner than many standard tape coatings. A thinner
tape backing produces more uniform output —
cleaner, crisper tones — while retaining critical
strength factors to meet the demands of all
professional recording machines.

EXTRA-THIN. 50% thinner,
rg » more potent oxide coating,
30% thinner backing permit
fc " more 190A tape to be wound
(K *\ on standard reel. One roll of
new tape does job of 1 14
reels of ordinary tape.

REG. u s pat on

INCREASED FREQUENCY

range of new Extra-play
tape enables home machines
to produce recordings with
greater hi fi response than
formerly possible with most
conventional magnetic tapes.

STRENGTH TO SPARE. New

190A tape stands up under
even grueling steel ball drop
test. Naturally it's tough
enough to withstand severe
stresses of sudden machine
stops, starts and reverses.

CIITCK £&P%j Magnetic Tape 190A

At your tape dealer's now!

The term "SCOTCH" and the plaid design are registered trademarks tor Magnetic Tape made in U.S.A. by MINNESOTA MINING AND MFG. CO.,
St. Paul 6, Minn. General Export: 122 E. 42nd St., New York 17, N. Y. In Canada: London, Ontario, Canada.

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

there's tape recording ^
ind there's ' ^gLv

Magnecordmg-^^

Just listen . . , you'll realize
immediately that the new M30
and M33 Magnecorders are
unrivalled for sheer range and
brilliance, yet they cost no
more. For home, business, and
school, you'll want the "old
pro," the Magnecorder — the
most widely used professional
tape recorder in the world.

Your Magnecord dealer is
listed in the classified telephone
directory — see "recorders."

the only professional _r^^35
tape recorder
at a
popular price

Uplagnecorcf, inc.

1101 S. KILBOURN AVENUE

CHICAGO 24, ILL.

DEPARTMENT H F - 1 0

NOTED WITH INTEREST

Continued from page 14

heard again from Mrs. Robinett and
excerpt the following from her letter:
"... We have received hundreds of
letters, from colleges, universities,
churches, hospitals — blind, mental,
polio — libraries and radio stations and
people that are just 'home-bodies.'
My husband and I will decide in the
next two weeks. Please tell the people
. . . every letter will be answered . . ."

Tape Storage

Tape life is long, but careless storage
can shorten it. We've puzzled over
what to do with especially precious
reels and therefore welcome the an-
nouncement that Brumberger, long
known in the photographic field for
their film storage cans and cases, has
introduced a line for tape . . . includes
cans for 5 and 7-in. reels, chests for
12 cans or reels. Cans are 455! and 55^,
chests from $3.25 to $7-95- For more
information, send us one of those
Product Information Coupons which
are in the back of this issue.

New Products

This being Fall and audio show time,
the pile of new product announce-
ments on our desk is a foot high.
Samplings: crestwood will mount
its 300 and 400 series tape recorders in
consoles . . . cabinart has a baby
Klipsch-type enclosure; neat; we have
one for a TITH report . . . Califone
has 15 portable phonographs in its
new line; consider these when looking
for a good portable . . . CUSTOM
sound products of San Francisco
announces three FM receiving anten-
nas . . . webcor's 1955 line includes
23 phonographs, 9 radio-phonographs,
10 tape recorders, 3 wire recorders, and
23 plug-in phonographs — don't let
the variety worry you; we counted
each color change as a model! . . .
majestic announces a portable TV
line; anyone got a portable all-channel
stacked yagi? . . . same company also
has a battery-electric portable radio-
phonograph; plays 45s . . . REK-O-KUT
has a new turntable line; see ads; looks
very good . . . magnavox is enter-
ing the field with a complete line of
custom components . . . and so on
and on, as you can see from the ad-
vertising in this issue!

Continued on page 21

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

data sheet 165

HIGH FIDELITY LOUDSPEAKERS

JMo JurtA'/y SPfanda'tot fol tnolc tAan a Jlwaifei Senility

1954-55
CONDENSED
CATALOG

In the search for pure high fidelity, completely authentic, with smooth
coverage of the complete frequency range from lowest bass to upper
limits of audibility, Jensen designed the KS-KK) Laboratory Reference
Standard Reproducer (see below) for use as a standard of comparison in
high fidelity. For those who pursue the ultimate, the very same repro-
ducer is offered here as the Imperial PK-100 irr cabinetry that bespeaks a
place of honor in the distinguished home. There's a totally new, smooth
sound, utterly real — undoubtedly the finest sourrd you've ever heard.
Voices come to life and there's a new almost geometrical separation of
instruments. A three-way system (we'd have used six channels if neces-
sary, but three were far and away the best), with 1-f unit loaded by a
new-design reactance-annuling trilateral-mouth horn for bass; selected
compression-driver horn-loaded mid-channel with intrarange equalizer
for a final touch to precise balance arrd coloration elimination; and
super latively smooth, space-blended supertwceter top. Expensive to be
sur e ... but pr iceless irr performance. Place it oir a sidewall or in a corner
as you choose. Individually serial numbered, laboratory tested with
sigrred cer tificate and guarantee of performance, accompanied by hand-
some descriptive presentation brochure. Impedance 16 ohms, power
rating 35 watts. 53>4" II.; 32%" W.;24$f D. Shipping Weight 2C.0 ll».
PR-100 "IMPERIAL" REPRODUCER

ST-919. Selected Mahogany. Net Price. $525.00
ST-918. Satin Korina. Net Price $535. Oo

Designed by t he Jensen engineering staff for their1 own use as a reference
standard of the highest quality of high-fidelity reproduction, the
RS-100 Laboratory Reference Standard Reproducer is a new and
important tool for sound engineers, workers in psychoacoustics and
music critics who require an unusually high quality of reproduction.
Some music lovers and audiophiles will undoubtedly want to own an
RS-100. Cabinet is plywood attractively two-toned in blue gray. Same
acoustic and electrical specifications as PR-100. Individually laboratory
tested, with signed certificate and guarantee of performance, and
descriptive brochure. 52V H.; 32V w.; 24'He" D.
RS-10O LABORATORY REFERENCE STANDARD REPRODUCER
ST-920. Net Price $468. oo

Imperial

! j

PR-100

LABORATORY
STANDARD

RS-100

Outperforms any comparable speaker system. Bass response enhanced
with new Bass-lilt rallex enclosure to give more true balanced response
than previous methods. Three completely independent reproducers
divide the frequency range (KP-302, 11P-20I, PI5-LU). Individual con-
trols orr the side of cabinet for exact adjust merrt of response balance,
presence and br ightness. Choice of selected .Mahogany or Blonde Korina
veneers with genuine matching hardwood trim. Each TRi-PLKX is
individually tested arrd is accompanied by a certificate and guarantee of
performance. Frequency Range Rating: +8 LIM. Impedance, 16 ohms.
Power Rating: 35 watts. 385/£" high, 26" wide, l(l78" deep. Shipping
Weight. 124 lbs.

MODEL TP-200 "TRi-PLEX" REPRODUCER

ST-909. Selected Mahogany. Net Price $312.70

ST-U08. Blonde Korina. Net Price $316.80

TP-200

A true 2-way system with separate "woofer" and "tweeter"- -high
fidelity reproduction in a compact enclosure to fit even the most
crowded living space. Finer music reproduction cannot be approached
except at far greater cost. [j-F unit is the new P12-NL 12" speaker
especially designed for this system. In combination with the Bass-
Ultra. lex cabinet, the system gives full bass response. HI*- 102 Il-F unit
handles frequencies above 2000 cycles, providing exceptional smoothness
and approaching the upper limits of audibility. 1 l-F Balance Control on
cabinet side. New cabinet design reflects fine proportions and clean
sculptured appearance. Available in selected Mahogany or Hlonde
Korina veneers. Reproducer is fully assembled and carefully tested at the
factory. Impedance, 16 ohms. Power rating, 25 watts. Ship. Wt., 62 lbs.

MODEL CT-100 "CONCERTO" 2-WAY REPRODUCER

ST-915. Selected Mahogany. Net Price . . $164.50

ST-9M. Blonde Korina. Net Price $168.00

CT-l 00

* new items

www.americanradiohistorv.com

DU-300

Hteasute

CtUiHt

Now the Duett* becomes an elegant addition to traditional or modern
home decor with these new "Treasure Chest" models. Handsomely
styled chest design is available in both selected Mahogany and Blonde
Oak veneers with genuine matching hardwood trim. Fits on bookshelf or
table in small space. For a free-standing piece, add the graceful, modern
wrought iron legs (not furnished- -must l>e ordered separately1.

Duette "Tieasuie Chest" gives the full performance of the true two-way
system with its special 8-inch ' wooler" and compression driver
"tweeter" in an unusually compact, scientifically designed acoustic
enclosure. Ideal for small-space hi-fi system, excellent as an improve-
ment addition for true hi-fi from existing radio, TV, phonograph or tape
recorder. Capable of adequate bass reproduction, even at low listening
levels. Clean, smooth response with the unmistakable presence of the
true two-way reproducer. Impedance: 4 and 8 ohms. Power Rating:
20 watts maximum speech and music input. Size: I i" high, 23,4" wide,
10 deep. Shipping Weight: 2-1 lbs.

MODEL DU-300 DUETTE "TREASURE CHEST" REPRODUCER

ST -80 1 (Mahogany) or ST-8G0 (Hlonde). Net Price $76.50

ST-862. Set of wrought iron legs. Net Price. 4.2 5

DU-201

The original Duette — real high fidelity in a small package . . . with the
advantages of the 2-way system principle. Can be used on a table, in
bookshelves or on the lloor, either on its side or standing on end. Ideal
for improving the performance of portable phonographs, radios or TV
sets as well as for a basic hi-fi system in a small space. Comprises a
special 8-inch "woofer" plus a nnilt.icell horn-loatlcd compression driver
"tweeter" with built-in frequency division system, in a small, compact,
enclosure designed for adequate bass potential. Capable of adequate,
satisfying bass reproduction even tit low listening levels. Kemarkablu
power-handling capacity and unmistakable "presence" of the 2-wnv
hi-fi reproducer. Elicit, attractive burgundy pigskin-grained Fabrikoid
finished cabinet with contrasting front panel and cast metal trim copper
finished. Same size and electrical and acoustical specifications as 1)1 -MM.

MODEL DU-201 DUETTE REPRODUCER

ST-890. Net Price $62.50

PORTABLE

DU-202

Here is the first truly |>ortable 2-way loudspeaker system with "big
speaker" performance . . . the new Duette "'Portable"! Ideal for use with
tape recorders, portable record p{»yurs>, electronic musical instruments,
for band sound reinforcement . . . by professional recording engineers,
lee t uters, musicians and hi-fi listeners. Two rugged receptacles on back
of case allow you to plug in at either 4 or 8 ohms as needed. Lid holds
25-foot cable with plug, plus handy storage lor two 7" or three 5" boxes
of tape held by retaining strap. "Cany tested" rattle-proof handle on
end of case. Sturdy construction, yet weighs only 21 lbs.
Gives the full performance of the true two-way system with its special
8-inch "woofer" and multi-cell horn-loaded compression driver
" tweeter". Built-in frequency division system. Small, compact enclosure
designed for adequate l>ass potential. Can he used either on its side or
standing on end. Impedance: A and 8 ohms. Power Hating: 20 watts
maximum speech and music input. Size: 1 1" high, 2414* wide, 10" deep.

MODEL DU-202 DUETTE "PORTABLE" REPRODUCER

ST-855. Black leatherette case with contrasting gray panel.

Net Price.. . . $77, 50

^IWljXtUMT leads for TRUE High Fidelity .

in compactness ... in economy

www.americanradiohistorv.com

3-WAY SYSTEM
COMPONENTS

P15-LL LOW FREQUENCY UNIT

Rugged I Shu. "woofer" handles bass region up to 600 cycles (2000 cycles in
2-way system). Kdge damping. Resonance, 37 cycles. Power rutins. 35 watts.
Impedance. 16 ohms. Shipping Weight. 18 llw.

ST-904. Net Price SSfi.80
RP-201 HIGH FREQUENCY UNIT

Reproduces the range from BOO to 4000 cycle* as the mid-channel in it 3-wny
system. Driver unit loaded by cast aluminum Hypex horn. Coverage angle
I 15°. Impedance 111 olurs. Power rating with A-fil network, 35 watts s|>eech
and music signal input, to system, Shippint; Weight., !t lbs.

ST-897 Net Price $42.60
RP-302 ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY UNIT

Covers the top of the range from -1000 cycles to the highest audible frequencies
with unexcelled smoothness and freedom from distortion. Coverage angle I2tt°.
Impedance. 10 ohms. Power rating with A-402 network. 3.=i watts speech and
music signal input to system. Mounts in 1 11 ir." hole in battle or on bracket.
Furnished wit-It unit. Satin brass finish. Shipping Weight. 3 lbs.
ST-80U Net Price $33.80

A-402 4000 CYCLE CROSSOVER NETWORK
Two-channel type, high-pass transit-its ever> thing above -1000 cycles, low -pass
everything below this frequency. 180° constant -resistance type. AW1 high
3^* wide. AH" deep. Shipping Weight. 3 llw.

8T-808. Net Price. $8.20

A 61 600 CYCLE CROSSOVER NETWORK

Sends frequencies »bove <MM) cycles to A-402 for further division: below 6(H)
cycles to the P15-LN unit. Two-channel, 180° constant-resistance tvpe. with
12db/octave attenuation outside puss band. b}i" high. 7" wide, 4*6" deep
Shipping Weight. A>jf lbs.

ST-890. Net Price $17.50

from Amplifier

G-610 TRI AXIAL

Consists of 3 independently driven
elements, each covering a portion of the
r:iiige. and a Crossover anil Control
network. Crossovers are at 000 and
4000 cycles. Heavy duty curvilinear
diaphragm unit for lows, compression
driver unit for middle range and special
small h-f tweeter at front for high end
Smoothly covers widest range available
today. Power rating, 35 watts, imped-
ance, Ifi ohms. Mounts in any cabinet
for 15* speaker Baffle opening 13^";
OO, lflH": depth, 10&". Shipping
Weight. 50 lbs.

8T-900 Net Price. . . S2S2.7S
TRANSFORMERS FOR G-610

Hi-fi units, mounting directly on net-
work chassis, with plug-in connections
for alternate impedances.
Model T-201. ST-846. 4 and 8 ohms
impedance. Net Price ...... $12.35

Model T-202. ST-847. 500-600 ohms
impedance. Net Price $12.35

H-530 COAXIAL

In wide range extension, smoothness
and fine balance of res|K>nse, this new
coaxial is a milestone in speaker engi-
neering. Highly efficient 15* 1-f unit.
t'Piwr channel is a new compression
driver perfectly matched to a special
h-f divided cellular Hypex horn to
reproduce a wide frequency range almve
21*00 cycles. Impedance, 16 ohms.
Power rating, 30 waits. Complete with
network and h-f control, Unfile opening,
13K": 9". ISJi*: depth, I OH". Ship-

ST-MKt. Net Price

. $129.50

2-WAY SYSTEM
COMPONENTS

H-520 COAXIAL

\ new coaxial speaker with the smooth-
ness, balance and wide range found only
in advanced -design 2-way systems.
Compression driver unit loaded by a
(1-cell Hypex horn reproduces frequen-
cies above 2000 cycles. Efficient 15" l-f
unit. Impedance, 16 ohms. Power rat-
ing. 25 watts. Haffle onening. 13J^*:
OO, i;>H*: depth. !»V- Shipping
Weight. Hi lbs.

ST-892. Net Price $79.50

H-222 COAXIAL

New wide-range 12" coaxial with coin-

Eression driver "tweeter" and 6-cell h-f
orn I ntegral f requency division .
Power rating, 25 wiitts. Impedance. 16
ohms. Bathe opening, 10H*;OD. 124";
depth, X*4" tins 11-1 Balance Control
on Mt" cord. Shipping Weight. 12 lbs.
ST-H75. Net Price. . $54.50

P12-NL LOW FREQUENCY UNIT

New rugged 12" "woofer" especially designed for 2-way systems. Handles
bass up io 2000 cycle Crossover. Impedance, Hi ohms. Power rating, 25 watts.
Shipping Weight. 10 lbs.

ST-912. Net Price S36.50

RP-102 HIGH FREQUENCY UNIT

A new advanced design "tweeter" for use in 2-way systems crossing over at
2000 cycles. Reproduces from 2000 cycles to extremely high frequencies with
smooth res|H>nse. Impedance. Hi ohn.s. Power rating. 'Ao watts when used with
A-204 network. Shipping Weight. lbs.

ST -805. Net Price 528.35

A-204 2000 CYCLE CROSSOVER NETWORK

Two-channel type. High-pass section transmits everything alM>ve 2000 cycles:
low-pass, everything below 2000 cycles. 180° constant-resistance ty|>e. 4%"
high, 3^" wide, 3I4" deep. Shipping Weight. 'A% lbs

ST-804. Net Price $13.00

H-F & LEVEL CONTROLS

Plush satin brass cup escutcheons, balance of J I — ■■

appropriately n.arked. n ounting 111
holes, and matching bar knobs.
25* leads attached.
H-F Balance Control. For adjusting

nulls. Hi ohms im-
pedance.

ST-001. Net Price. $4.15
Level Control. Input control to
speaker. 16 ohms impedance.
ST-SS0. Net Price $4.30

K-310A COAXIAL

\ fine, low-cost, true two-way 15* hi-fi
speaker that will outperform many at
higher prices. Integral frequency divi-
sion system. Power rating, ifi watts.
Impedance, 10 ohms. Ha flip opening.
):i>4": OI). I5H": depth. 8^*. Ship-
ping Weight. 18 lbs.
ST-801. Net Price $37.60

K-210 COAXIAL

High fidelity reproduction in a unit of
small size ami amazingly low cost . I (leal
for modernizing TV and radio sets.
Built-in frequency -dividing system.
Power rating, 12 Watts. Impedance. 8
ohms. Halite owning. IOJ^*;Ol), \2W
depth. Shipping Weight. 7 lbs.
ST-S3I - Net Price $24.85

Z-3422 Autotransformcr. For matching any two of 1 6/8/4 ohm i
Net Price

ipedaiices.
S5.15

Components and Speakers ... To install in cabinets ... or build-in

www.americanradiohistorv.com

BL-250

BL-220

new Type IL "Mn^-QUkafl** "CA1METS

These new Type "HL," Cabinets arc tjcatttifully styled loudspeaker
enclosures employing the new Hass-Ultiallex principle to give more true
balanced bass response than previous methods employed in medium
sized cabinets. Thev achieve a new high in nexihlu adaptability to
mounting of coaxial or Triaxial speakers, mid-channel and high fre-
quency units, uoofeis, super-tweeters, in any desired combination
without sawing or cutting. All units easily mounted I rom rear of cabinet.
Designed to fit corner, or mav be placed against sidewalk UF radiation
augmented bv acoustic passages opening into the sides of the cabinet.
Choice of selected Mahoganv or Monde Korina venee's with genuine
matching solid hardwood trim. Concealed cutouts on side for controls.
MODEL BL-2SO "BL" CABINET FOR 13-INCH SPEAKERS

ST-856. Hlonde Korina. :i85/g" x 26" x 1<%" Deep. Net *130.90

ST-857. Cordovan Mahogany. Same size as ST-850. Net 128.00

MODEL BL-220 "BL" CABINET FOR 12-INCH SPEAKERS

ST-852. Monde Korina. 30)4" " 22^" x I. He" Deep. Net $92.50

ST-85:i. Cordovan Mahogany. Same size as ST-852. Net 89.50

Type C

ECONOMICAL « ffi«M=@le/Yex" CABINETS

These new Tvpe C enclosures combine acoust irally correct performance
with attractive modern wood cabinetry at moderate cost. A line cabinet
with Bass- Reflex for low-budget hi-fi audio systems. Models to fit 8", 12"
or 15" 8|>eakei s.in choice of Monde or Mahogany finishes. Two concealed
cut-outs in Model C-151. one cut-out in C-121, for easy installation of
flush H-F and Level Controls, or RP-302 "Supei tweeter".
MODEL C-151 "C" CABINET FOR 15-INCH SPEAKERS
ST-808. Monde finish. 32" x 28" x 15" Deep. Net. ... . . $46.35

ST-869. Mahogany finish. Same size as ST-868. Net. 46.35

MODEL C-121 "C" CABINET FOR 12-INCH SPEAKERS

ST-866. Monde finish. 2(1" x 25" x 13V Deep. Net. . . $39.40

ST-8G7. Mahogany finish. Same size as ST-8tS6. Net 39.40

MODEL C-81 "C" CABINET FOR 8-INCH SPEAKERS

ST-804. Monde finish. 23''2" x 20" x <)" Deep. Net. . . $28.75

ST-805. Mahogany finish. Same size as ST-8G4. Net 28.75

EXTENDED RANGE SPEAKERS

The selection of a direct-radiator loudspeaker from this seiies, in size or
cost appropriate to the application insures the best quality obtainable
in a "one-wav" speaker. Alternate models in the same size group differ
mainly in efficiency and power rating. JENSEN Extended Range
loudspeakers are ideal as replacement-improvement units for less
worthy shakers in radio, television and record playing equipment, lhe
logical choice for better reproduction on a low budget.

Nomi-
nal

Size

*G«p
Energy
Lovel

Dimensions, Inches

Voice Coil

tTr»n»-

Net

Each

Model
Ho.

Stock

O.D.

Depth

Battle

Cutout

Diam.,
In.

Imped.,
Ohms

Power
Watts

former
Size

PIS-NX

ST-M7

li.li

1SH

li-H

ISO

1" % 1"

$46.05

F12-NX
P12-RX
P12-SX

ST -US
ST -MS
ST-S21

8.8
2.2
1 f.

12'.«

1254
12M

I'.'n

10H

ioh

154

i
i

ti N
(> X
li-S

Hi 0
110

9.0

1- % 1"

54" * 54"
, 541*

35.25
12.40
U.35

P10-SX

ST-S23

1.5

1054

li-H

M"» X"

10.54

P8-RX
P8-SX

ST-M?
ST -825

2 2
In

i
i

li N

(i-S

K 1)
7 11

H"« H"
H" * H"

8.50
7.48

P6-TX

ST-82S

1 .1

<"»■ 1 u

3 1

") 0

H" * H"

5.05

P5-TX

ST -827

-»"«

■1

4 1)

54"* 54"

4.90

•Millions of Ergs.

tSize Recommended.

♦r

lemen

MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Division of lhe Muter Co.
6601 S. LARAMIE, CHICAGO 38, ILL., U.S.A.
COPPER WIRE PRODUCTS LTD., Licemee

Jensen High Fidelity Loudspeakers and accessories
are sold by lii-fi dealers in all principal cities in the
U.S.A., the I lawaiian Islandsand in foreign countries.
II your dealer does not carry the Jensen line, write
us and we will be glad to tell you the nearest place
to buy. Remember, Jensen has been the world's
quality standard for more than a quarter-century.

) J. M. CO.. 19S4

www.americanradiohistorv.com

NOTED WITH INTEREST

Continued from page 16

Who He?

An oculist wrote us for advice on
equipping his waiting room with a tape
recorder, wherewith to regale his
patients with music. We assembled
some data, only to discover belatedly
that he had furnished no return ad-
dress. Are you there, Doctor?

Stores Here and There . . .

Everybody Know About:
... in Syracuse, N. Y.,: Cambridge
Electronics Co., 125 Cambridge St.?
... in Washington, D. C: Sound
Crafters, 1744 Columbia Road, N. W.,
Washington 9?

... in Williamsport, Pa.: AIvo Elec-
tronics Distributors, Inc., 240 Pine St.?

. . in State College, Pa.: another,
branch of Alvo, at 103 S. Pugh St.?
... in Youngstown, Ohio: Creative
Audio Associates, 3017 South Meri-
dan Road? They also maintain a shop
for custom cabinet -making.

Slips that Pass . . .

Writing up a Hollywood Bowl broad-
cast, one of the West Coast papers
reported, "Howard Rhines, KFAC
program manager, said that the Bowl
program will be done biannually and
with high fidelity. This will give the
music a three-dimensional, stereo-
phonic quality."

One ear this year, other ear next
year, eh?

Thanks to "Cap" Kierulff of Los
Angeles for sending us the clipping.

Hi-fi Corn Plasters

In an editorial for the Sept.-Oct. 1953
issue, we shed tears in our soup over
the possibility that the words "high
fidelity" might soon be associated with
corn plasters. Mark our words that
day is coming!

This summer, Dr. Charles Pick of
Montreal stopped in to see us and in
the course of chatting about things
hi-fi, he reminded us of our editorial.
Pulling a folder from his pocket, he
said, "Now you can almost say, 'I told
you so!' "

Continued on page 22

db's

by L. H. Bo gen
Member, Audio Engineering Society
Vice President, David Bog en Co., Inc.

Lebensraum: 6

These new Bogen space savers (and cabinet savers)
may be the answer to your installation problem.

If you haven't started drilling holes
yet, stop! We may have a solution to
your installation problem that is sim-
pler and neater.

The solution lies in the shape and
form of our new Bogen R640G tuner
and DB15G amplifier. Low-slung,
smartly encased and closely-matched
esthetically as well as electronically,
you can take them out of the carton,
slip them right into your book case . . .
and you're in business. All they re-
quire is a meager 6" of head room.
Or, if you plan to have a cabinet or a
built-in installation, you can purchase
the R640 and DB15 in chassis form
and mount them pickaback in a space
only 12" high, 13Ms" wide and about
9" deep!

New Bogen
wr OBlSG amplifier

The beautiful thing about this com-
pactness is that it has been achieved
without sacrificing performance by
even one-tenth of a decibel.

Circuit based on

the famous Bogen DB20

The DB15 incorporates the Partial
Cathode Loading circuit first used in
our famous DB20 amplifier. Harmonic
distortion is less than 1 % at 1 5 watts ;
intermodulation distortion and fre-
quency response are of laboratory
standard level.

A separate loudness contour selector
permits you to preserve the highs and
lows as you turn down the volume.
And there are two different record
equalization controls: one for low-
frequency turn-over and one for high-
frequency roll-off-making possible no
fewer than 20 different record equali-
zation positions.

Bogen

ELECTRONIC *^EQUIPMENT

New Bogen
ReiOG FM-AM tuner

Like an R604 tuner
that somebody sat on

The R640 FM-AM Tuner offers a
sensitivity of 5 microvolts for 30 db
quieting. FM frequency response is
50-15,000 cps ± 1 db. Stability is com-
parable to the well-known Bogen R604
tuner, with automatic frequency con-
trol and temperature-stabilized oscil-
lator preventing drift and eliminating
warm-up period. We have also added
an AFC-defeat switch.

Value is in the Bogen tradition (you
can pay more but you can't buy bet-
ter listening) :

R6i0 FM-AM Tuner chassis....$10S.S0

ReiOG (in metal case) 112.95

DB15 A mplifier chassis 89.95

DB15G (in metal case) 99.00

Your favorite sound room should have
them by the time you read this.

Have you sent for a copy of
'Understanding High Fidelity"?

Louis Bianeolli and t have
written this Ji8-page book
unth the idea of providing,
in about t hour*' reading
time, a theoretical and prac-
tical ground-work for the
man who it serious about
custom hi-fi. For a copy of
"U nder standing High Fi-
delity", mail the coupon and
tse. (If you already know
your theory and application,
send for the free Bogen
catalog.)

I David Bogen Co- Inc.. Dept. WJ

I 20 Ninth Ave. New York 1 4. N. Y.

I Send "Understand! ng High Fidelity" ( for

I which 1 enclose 25f), and free catalog.

address

ciry_

□ Send free catalog only.

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

to heartbeats

With the lowest distortion,
widest useful dynamic and frequency ranges,
flattest response and finest balance
available today for critical listeners,

Bozak Loudspeakers and Speaker Systems
recreate every audible sound
with its most subtle qualities that
contribute the last whisper of realism.

Chosen as the standard

by leading acoustical laboratories . • •

selected above all others for
the clinical study of heartbeat sounds . . .

purchased time and again by
musicians and music critics

who know true sound quality . . .

the Bozaks remain unchallenged for

- The Very Best in Sound

Room 713

Chicago High-Fidelity Show
September 30th - October 2nd

New York Audio Fair
October 14th • 17th

Manhattan Street • Stamford • Connecticut

rt Offices Electronic* Manufacturers' Export Company, Hickivllle, Now York

The front'of the folder said in bold
type, "Hi-Fi Achromycin." The re-
verse was devoted partly to a sketch
of a pick-up arm, speaker, etc. and
the copy, "High fidelity musical re-
production brings the listener a vastly
wider range of tonal values than the
usual record player . . ." The rest of
the card was devoted to a discussion
which started with, "In the field of
antibiotic therapy Achromycin offers
the physician a wider range of anti-
bacterial effectiveness . . . which in-
creases its usefulness over other 'broad
spectrum' compounds . . ."

To Lederle Labs, whose promotion
piece we've been discussing, full and
delighted enthusiasm for their using
"high fidelity" . . . but wait until
someone sends us a hi-fi corn plaster
advertisement!

Tape Wanted

Gilbert D. Mead (6 Hodel Drive, Hol-
lister, Calif.) writes: "I was fascinated
by James Facett's intermission program
for the N. V. Philharmonic broadcast
on March 14, wherein he took the
familiar sound of a canary and, by
lowering it one octave at a time and
doing some expert dubbing, created
some unusual sounds. I would love to
have a tape of the broadcast, so that I
might play it to my science students
when we study sound. Do you know
of any subscriber who may have taped
it and who would be willing to loan
his copy for duplication?"

Certainly must be some Hi Fl reader
who taped that program; more-over,
Columbia plans to issue it on a disk.

More Back Copies Wanted

As the months roll by, we're gradually
getting people pretty well paired off —
those who have extra copies of out-of-
print issues of High Fidelity with
those who want them. But we're still
short ... if anyone can help the
following six readers, will they please
write direct to them:

Robert B. Smeaton, Box 636, Min-
ocqua, Wisconsin, needs Nos. 1 and 4.

J. L. Dodds, 125 So. Harrison St.,
East Orange, N. J. wants No. 1.

T. Matusik, 2058 W. 76th St., Chi-
cago 20, 111., Bill Frazier, 817 Over-
brook, Ponca City, Okla., Lt. A. S.
Kushen, 2220- 20th St., N. W. Wash-
ington, D. C. and Dr. Sheldon J. Sol-
omon, 2 Cannon Street, Poughkeepsie,
N. V., are all looking for the now-
famous No. 4.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

^"Listening Quality

The prime function of your hi-fi TONE ARM

The GRAY

viscous-damped 108 B

TONE ARM

Gray offers a radical departure in tone
arm design to assure the ultimate in
performance from new and old record-
ings . . . 33Ji, 45, and 78 RPM ... up
to 16" in diameter. The NEW suspen-
sion principle"damps" vertical and hori-
zontal movement of the arm . . . stops
groove jumping and skidding . . . pre-
vents damage if arm is dropped. Instant
cartridge change . . . Pickering, GE,
Fairchild . . . with automatic adjust-
ment to correct pressure.

Visit your nearest High Fidelity dealer today
. . . examine the precision construction of Gray
Tone Arms . . . hear them reproduce perfect
Hi-Fi performance.

For TRUE reproduction of concert quality High
Fidelity music, depend on the Gray Tone Arm.
It gives you perfect compliance and tracking for
all records . . . new or old ... at lowest stylus
pressure. Virtually eliminates tone arm reson-
ances. Today, more and more High Fidelity
enthusiasts are achieving TRUE musical real-
ism with the Gray 108 B Tone Arm. Specifically
designed to meet the most exacting listening
demands.

Gray 106 SP
Transcription Arm
Chosen by profes-
sionals for superb
tone reproduction
. . . for every speed
record.

Gray 103 S
Transcription Arm
Leading audio engi-
neers recognize the
true tone reproduc-
tion. Specifically de-
signed for 78 RPM
records.

RESEARCH

AND DEVELOPMENT CO. Inc.. Milliard St.. Manchester. Conn.
Division of the GRAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY
OrUina tors of the Gray Telephone Pay Station untl the
Cray Audogruph and PhonAudograph .

GHAY KESEAKCH & DEVELOPMENT CO., INC.
Milliard Street, Manchester, Connecticut.

Please send me complete descriptive literature on
Gray Tone Anns.

Name

Address.
City

-State_

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Dual Coaxial
Speaker Al-400

MOST COMPATIBLE LINE OF
MATCHED HI-FI COMPONENTS

... in the industry today!

From stylus to speaker General Electric designs,
engineers and manufactures more of its own
components than any other company. The result:
matched equipment worthy of the name!
This completely integrate J sound system returns the
richest reward in voice and music reproduction
your high-fidelity dollars can ever purchase.

Remember, G.E. is the natural leader in this field
with its famous variable reluctance cartridge.
No other high quality line is as complete . . .
as preferred ... as outstanding in performance and
price as General Electric! People everywhere who
listen once to the complete Custom Music Ensemble
then look at its low price tag are convinced G-E is
the only equipment to buy! General Electric Company,
Section R34104, Electronics Park, Syracuse, N. Y.

Why you should use a G-E Diamond Stylus Cartridge.

All records cause stylus wear. The result: reduced
record life and performance. Tests conducted on
diamond styli have run hundreds of hours with no
audible distortion and only highlights on the styli
to indicate visible wear.

Preamplifier-Control Unit Al-200

Speaker Enclosure (Blond, Mahogany
or Unl iniihedl Al -406

Sir:

Permit me to cry (loudly) "Hear,
hear," and "Amen" to Mr. F. A. Kutt-
ner's article in your July issue, "Are
High Frequencies Necessary?" and to
urge you, if need be, to subsidize his
further researches into the field . . .

Henry Shultz

Albuquerque, N. Mex.

Sir:

I enjoyed immensely the article "Are
High Frequencies Necessary?" . . .

Seems like this shocking un-Amer-
ican opinion is also shared by Jascha
Heifetz in December 1953 House Beau-
tiful, in interview with Albert Gold-
berg.

More "common sense" articles
would obviate the necessity of many
highly technical discussions with some
prospective purchasers of playing
equipment, who are generally in a
quandary less they miss some feature
involving high frequencies.

Many music dealers are still conduct-
ing an educational program for new
speed records, and now face another
program for high-fidelity.

J. G. Bradburn
Houston, Texas

Sir:

F. A. Kuttner implied that he expected
trouble; here it is! Let us, suggests
FAK, proceed scientifically to measure
the frequency response of the average
American's ear and chop off all re-
cordings to suit. This is the kind of
nonsense the sound recording industry
has so far been able to resist . . .

For people who do not appreciate
high fidelity to the utmost, may I
suggest . . . any one of a number of
cheap table-model radios which will
absolutely not go above 8,000 cycles.
There are surely sufficiently many in-
ferior recording devices on the market
to satisfy FAK. Let the low-fi fans
stick to their business and stay away

from my equipment

J. Philip Benkard
New York, N. Y.

Continued on page 28

High Fidelity Magazine

GENERAL

ELECTRIC

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Sir:

Bravo to F. A. Kuttner for one of the
most constructive pieces of heresy I
have read in years.

My concept of high fidelity, I ven-
ture to brand it a musician's concept
rather than an engineer's, is to repro-
duce what one hears when in the
presence of live musicians playing in a
hall. Under such conditions, compared
with some high-fidelity reproduction,
I would guess that nothing above a
second or third partial could be heard
(unless one is actually on the platform
with the players), so that a recording
with a top at 8,ooo say, would cover
every tone likely to sound in a typical
symphonic or chamber work.

The effect produced by blowing up
the high frequencies and bass so that
one hears things that only the con-
ductor or the other piccolo players
would hear normally is not high fidel-
ity and usually is not pleasant listen-
ing. This is why many older record-
ings which are well balanced and
properly placed in resonant space are
more faithful and enjoyable than
newer ones which sacrifice these qual-
ities to what is supposed to be bril-
liance of sound. Thank heaven with
good tone controls and a high quality
filter, some of these newer things can
be cut down to size!

Robert Marsh
Cambridge, Mass.

Sir:

I can ill afford the time to write letters
of this nature, but the article by F. A.
Kuttner in your July issue reaches such
a height of stupidity that I'm just help-
less to keep from writing.

The reason for such an extreme judg-
ment lies primarily in the author's ill-
informed delusion that he either has or
is going to discover anything even a
little new, let alone revolutionary. For
it requires little erudition to be aware
that there are around a half dozen ex-
perimental studies already, dealing
with this question about as adequately
as there seems any reason to bother
dealing with it. . . . \X'e have all been
well aware for some time of a good deal
more yet than Dr. Kuttner seems to
imagine that he is telling us for the
first time. Surely many of us know of
the Jensen technical monographs? . . .
Some of the experimental studies re-
viewed therein purport to prove, in
essence, that 11,000 cycles is about all
that you really gotta have, // you're
anxious to have as narrow a bandwidth
Continued on page 30

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

A new experience in record listening,
from the southern coast of Africa. Conductors who
have tried it in their own reproduction equipment,
say that it creates an illusion of attendance at their
own live performances. You'll agree, quite readily,
when you use the Duotone African Diamond Needle
in your equipment.

Mined in Africa, this Diamond is famed for its
hardness. Tempered by hand to a point, one/one/
millionth. Set, with jewelers care, to produce a life-
time of artistic listening. Quite correct, there's a

October, 1954

Duotone African Diamond Needle designed for your
model player and cartridge. Welcome companion to
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Used by record companies to wipe out static.

A quick dust of your records before playing,
will decharge them for months as this Duotone
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Reduced, now, 1 3 in price to $1.00. At better record
stores. Write for free literature on Diamond Needles
to Duotone Co., Inc., Key port, N. J.

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as possible. And yet Jensen, in the
couple of years just past, has been one
of the most conspicuous advocates of
that anathema to Kuttnerian dogma,
the super tweeter. Why, do you sup-
pose?

I don't know just" what Jensen would
say, but I know a very good reason. It
is simply that if you make a driver,
either horn type or direct radiator,
that will produce good, clean, low-
distortion i i.ooo-cycle components at
the same level as it produces less ex-
treme frequencies, without recourse to
any kind of diaphragm resonance or
breakup, or any kind of resonant or
reverberant acoustical loading (which
would cause distortion of music and
tonal coloration of noise components
in both the music and the signal source,
as well as emphasis by hangover of
such noise components) — if you
make such a driver, it is not likely to
oblige you by cutting off promptly at
some frequency that you may have
dreamed up as being "adequate."
After all, a mere octave above such
limits would land you around 22,000
cycles. And it takes a mass-controlled
diaphragm just about an octave, from
the point where it just begins to roll
off, to get down to below where an ad-
vertising man can say it is "respond-
ing." This is why advertising gives
you the impression that drivers are
much better than they need to be. . . .
But their upper high frequency limit
is only incidental, only something that
they happen to have as a result of the
laws of physics, when they achieve
their real, important objective: clean
reproduction of the modest Kuttnerian
bandwidth.

Say, by the way — is /•'. A. Kuttner
necessary?

John V. Fox
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sir:

... I would be prone to argue that
any premises that force the conclusion
that the inscribing of higher frequen-
cies on disks is not in the best interests
of serving the artists participating in
the rendition are certainly premises
manufactured for the purpose of sup-
porting an initial prejudice. If the
listener wishes to scrape away the
higher frequency undulations with a
worn, chisel-shaped sapphire (and I
sometimes do this quite deliberately
when I "break in" a new record), as
exist on a record when it is first pur-
chased . . . and paid for by his own
hard earned cash, that is royally his
business. But it is the business of a

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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manufacturer, whether the label be
RCA or SPA, to supply all the possible
graph-like oscillations possible on a
disk. . . . Some of the data may
prove to be unessential for musicolo-
gist FAK, but who is to say what data
is to be saved, and what is to be
erased? I regard the deliberate erasing
of higher frequencies as the drastic
cure for "unrealistic" reproduction.

A musician, as representing a class
by himself, may not care to know what
is going on technically in the making
of a recording, or in its hi-fi reproduc-
tion and amplification, but he would
be incredibly sorry of lextural intuition
not to recognize the best from the
worst, in the engineer's service to his
art.

One of the greatest living conduc-
tors . . . considers the engineer's place
so important as to be worthy of ac-
knowledgment on his own label. This
is a very refreshing and gratifying atti-
tude to find in a conductorial "master
executive" and perhaps some of this
party's recordings might be placed in
the hands of the very, very ill-disposi-
tioned Mr. Kuttner, especially as the
records in mind are associated with
therapeutic attributes, by way of the
locality of the distributing headquar-
ters and the uniquely appropriate
trademark.

E. R. Petrich
Seattle, Wash.

Sir;

After having read the editorial in your
June issue, I thought that you might be
interested as to what advice I. as a
member of the S.I. P. (Small Informed
Public) would offer to a member of the
G.U.P. (Great Uninformed Public)
vis-a-vis the purchase of an LP of Aaron
Copland's "Appalachian Spring," al-
lowing, of course, for the usual di-
vergencies of taste between one person
and another. This is how they rate
with me:

The Urania LP is moderately well
recorded, and Rother's performance
pretty well hews to the composer's
tempi save in the fast sections whose
square-dance rhythms are whipped up
to an almost tarantella-like velocity, re-
sulting in a performance fully five min-
utes shorter than any of its competi-
tors. For this reason, definitely not
recommended.

Vanguard's recording is more than
'fairly estimable fi," being to my ears
at least, a sharper and a clearer record-
ing than even the version (presumably
roughly contemporaneous) made in

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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Vienna by Walter Hendl for the Amer-
ican Recording Society. Mr. Lit-
schauer's tempi are, in addition, much
closer to the late Dr. Koussevitsky's
than are Mr. Hendl's, and we are also
spared the former's gratuitous exci-
sions.

Dr. Koussevitsky's performance is,
of course, a low fidelity recording by
1954 standards. It is nevertheless ideal
for those who wish an affectionate
memento of his noted interest in con-
temporary music.

The choice, then, for this member of
the G. U. P. is between a first-rate per-
formance by a world famous con-
ductor, modestly recorded, and a first-
rate performance, excellently recorded,
by a man who was absolutely un-
known in this country prior to 1951.
There is also a subsidiary choice to be
made, aural as contrasted to the major
esthetic one, namely a choice between
the echoey resonance of Boston's
Symphony Hall and the controlled
reverberation of Vienna's Brahmssaal.

In conclusion, for this benighted lis-
tener who has never heard a tasteless
or an inconsiderate performance from
Franz Litschauer whether the music
was by Aaron Copland or Josef Haydn,
the Litschauer LP is Koussevitsky's
equal, performance-wise, and it's su-
perior technically.

Robert F. Duguay
Hartford, Conn.

There was no intent to imply, in our
June editorial, that Litschauer's
performance was "tasteless," and
all hereabouts agree in high ap-
proval of his Mozart and Haydn,
but not that his Copland is on a par
with them. This has to be a sub-
jective reaction, but, for example,
Mr. Litschauer sounds somehow as
if this were his first hearing of the
Shaker tune (The Gift to be Simple)
so prominently featured in the
work, and as if he had to figure out
how to treat it. For Dr. Koussevit-
sky, more American than most na-
tives in his latter years, it seems to
flow effortlessly and spontaneous-
ly. — Ed.

Sir:

. . . Your editorial in the June issue
strikes me as a most amazing docu-
ment, and I am forced to inquire if
this is your idea of humor, or if you
are serious?

If this is a serious statement of the
editorial policy of High Fidelity then
you may as well change the name of
the magazine to "Recent Recordings"

High Fidelity Magazine

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High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.corn

LETTERS

i, outlined from page 34

lor, in line with the expressed policy,
your record reviewers will be pro-
hibited from making statements as to
scratchy surfaces, poor recording tech-
niques, distortive equipment used in
recording, etc.

Your statement that the use of "high
grade modern equipment" (in record-
ing) is "mandatory, of course," is not
only naive, but downright stupid.
Even a child knows that any merchan
dise is apt 10 be of poor quality.

1 low do you reconcile your attitude
(or assumption! that all recordings are
up to the best modern standards, with
the comments of your record reviewers?
For example, on page 44, col. 3, June
issue last sentence:

"Occasionally the extremes of the
piano lack complete fullness. R.E."

Even //all recording companies had
the best equipment (which is ex-
tremely doubtful., unless that equip-
ment is maintained in proper condi-
tion, the results are probably going to
be far from "high fidelity."

If your editorial were written by the
editor of some other magazine, I would
still be amazed, but to be written by
the editor of a magazine called "High
Fidelity" is astounding. It shows com-
plete ignorance of the meaning of the
magazine title

It the musical artisis did not do a
good job, that has nothing to do with
the fidelity of the recording, even
though their artistry would be open to
criticism. That you do not recognize
the distinction is astounding.

What would I tell your new re-
cruit"? That the two high fidelity re-
cordings are very poor musically, that
the only good musical interpretation
is not of the high fidelity type. He had
better wait for a better release.

And that brings us to the meat of the
problem. Is your editorial an honest,
but stupid, mistake or did your record
advertisers demand that you make such
a statement? In any event, the maga- |
zine has suffered a severe blow.

My hat is off to Neil Harrison
Alonzo 0. Bliss
Coconut Grove. Fla.

Either Mr. Bliss misread us, or we
expressed ourselves poorly. Our
point is that "high fidelity" is not
yet well enough defined, as it ap-
plies to records, to be a safe buy- '
ing-criterion. If all the electronic I

Continued on page 39

inwfiiH-my.

FISHER

FM TUNER

MODEL FM-80

Never before in the history of Frequency Modulation has there
been a tuner to match the remarkable, new FISHER FM-80.
Equipped with TWO meters, it will outperform any existing
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sensitivity, flexibility, and micro-accurate tuning. It has an unu-
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companions, the FISHER FM-AM Tuners, Models 50-R and
70-RT, we predict the FM-80 will be widely imitated, but never
equalled. Be sure; buy THE FISHER. Only $139.50

Outstanding Features of THE FISHER FM-80

• TWO meters; one to indicate sensitivity, one to indicate ccnter-of-channel
for micro-accurate tuning • Armstrong system, wilh two IF stages, dual
limiiers and a cascode RF staff. • Full limiting even on signals as weak
as one microvolt. • Dual antenna inputs: 72 ohms and 300 ohms bal-
anced. • Sensitivity: I Vi microvolts for 20 db of quieting on 72-ohm
antenna input; 3 microvolts for 20 db of quieting on 300-ohm antenna
input. • Chassis completely shielded and shock-mounted, with full shield -
ing of tuning condenser to eliminate microphonics, and noise from other-
wise accumulated dust. • Three controls - Variable AFC/Line-Switch,
Sensitivity, and Station Selector PLUS an exclusive Output Level Control.

• Two bridged outputs; low- impedance, cathode-follower type, permit-
ting output leads up to 200 feet. • 1 1 tuhes. • Dipole antenna supplied.
Beautiful, brushed-brass front panel. • Self-powered. • WCT; 15 pounds.

• SIZE: 12H" wide, 4" high, H'V deep including control knobs.

Price Slightly Higher Wejf ol (he Rockiet
WRITE TODAY FOR COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS

FISHER RADIO CORP. • 21-25 44th DRIVE • L. I. CITY 1, N. Y.

mtmillllllllillllllllllliiiiiiitminiiinniltii

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

now ! at prices you can afford ...a true

a new dimension in sound ?ep rod net ion

. . .at amazingly small cost

THE SHADOW-BOX

bench-crafted
cabinetry

Sec the variety of beautihil F-.M
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Sig/i/ ir Sound ErjmsiHOH at Chi-
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1. Revolutionary New Damping
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hangover and intei modulation
distortion.

2. Compactness of unique design gives
performance equal to enclosures three
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3. High Dispersion Factor . . . eliminates
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4. Lotv Distortion . . . lower than many
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5. High Definition . , , each instalment is
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and clarity.

WRITE FOR FREE LITERATURE AND PRICE LIST.

1 . %«

International Electronics Corp.

159 HOWEll STREET
DALLAS, TEXAS

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

LETTERS

Continued from page }j

equipment at a recording session
works well, is the record "high-
fidelity"? Even if the supervising
engineer put the microphone too
close to the first violins, so that their
screeching drowns out all else but
the trombones? The frequency-
range is all there, but the unwary
customer is likely to be disap-
pointed. — Ed.

Sir:

You were entirely too specific in your
apologetic little box on page 43 of the
July issue. How about the book review
with the quotation on page 20, "Viola
tin feuilleton" (in italics yet)? I cannot
agree that Mr. Barzun's translation
gives the real tone far too much
like a trumpet.

1 have a mental picture of your
proofreader, confronted with his error
and a consequent cut in salary saying
either resignedly "Cello guerre" or,
more pugnaciously "Oboe, you can't
take that away from me!" . . .

Bernard J. Jandorf
Baltimore, Md.

We didn't cut the proofreader's
salary. We think that would have
been a bass viol trick. — Ed.

Sir:

Just a short note to let you know that
the cause has not been forgotten in
Korea. The bugs here are carrying the
torch. As soon as the war was over, 1
started having some components sent
to provide some listenable music. 1
have a 10-watt amplifier, co ax speaker
in a reflex cabinet, and turntable with
magnetic cartridges. There are two
others nearby just about completing
similar systems. Until we return to
"The Land of the Big PX" our med-
ium-fi phonographs are keeping us
happy. Recorded music is all we have,
because the radio programs put forth
here are miserably deficient in good
music.

Keep up the battle for a standard of
quality to determine what can and
cannot be labeled as "hi-fi." It is ab-
solutely deplorable to read the adver-
tisements of equipment being fostered
on the uninitiated public under the
magic phrase "High Fidelity." Es-
pecially exasperating are the larger
manufacturers trying to cash in on the
Continued on page 41

11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 1 r 1 1 1 ri ri 1 r mm

FM-AM
TUNERS

MODEL 7 0-RT

FISHER

FM-AM TUNERS

THE truest index to the quality of FISHER Tuners is the roster
of its exacting users. An Eastern FM station uses the FISHER
to pick up selected New York and Washington programs direct,
for rebroadcast to its own community. Reception of FM stations
over 150 miles distant, terrain permitting, is a regular occurrence,
if you own a FISHER Professional FM-AM Tuner.

MODEL 70-RT

■ Features extreme sensitivity ( 1. 5 mv for
20 db of quieting); works where others fail.
Armstrong system, adjustable AFC on switch,
adjustable AM selectivity, separate FM and
AM front ends. Complete shielding and
shock-mounting on main and subchassis. Dis-
tortion below 0.04% for l volt output. Hum
level: better than 90 db below 2 volts out-
put on radio, better than 62 db below output
with 10 mv input on phono. Two inputs.
Two cathode follower outputs. Self-powered.
Exceptional phono preamplifier with enough

fain for even lowest-level magnetic pickup,
ull, phono equalization facilities. 15 rubes.
Six controls, including Bass, Treble, Volume,
Channel/Phono- Equalization, Tuning and
Loudness Balance. Beautiful Control Panel.
SIZE: 14%" wide, *i'/z" high. 9' ," deep.

I MODEL 50-R

■ Identical to the 70-RT but desiBiied f».r
unv with an rxtornat preamplifier-equalizer,
such as the FISHKK Series 50-C.

MODEL 50-R

MASTERPIECE OF TUNER DES CN

MODEL 70-RT

$18450

MODEL 50-R

$1645©

PRICES SLIGHTLY HIGHER
WEST OF THE ROCKIES

Write lor Full Details

FISHER RADIO CORP.

21-25 44th DRIVE
LONG ISLAND CITY l.N.Y.

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Immortalizing the instrument...

For I he "Instrument
of the Immortals"
. . all great instru-
ments and voices, there
are now magnetic recording
tapes of matching quality. They are Sound-
craft Tapes, created hy engineers with the
maximum of recording experience.

We believe them to he the world's finest
tapes, because Soundcraft Tapes alone
combine:

• Constant depth oxide lor uniform middle-
and low-frequency response.
•Micro-Polished coating, a patented
Soundcraft process that eliminates unnec-
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frequency response right from the start.

• Pre-Coated adhesive applied directly to
base anchors oxide, no flaking, cracking.

•Surface-lubrication onhotli sides! Nofric-
tion. no chatter, no squeal.

• Chemical balance throughout to prevent
cupping, curling, peeling, chipping.

• Uniform output of ±'4 db. within a reel,
±Vi db. reel-to-reel.

SOUNDCRAFT TAI'ES FOR
EVERY PURPOSE

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Sonndcraft Professional Tape for radio. TV
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feet. Standard or professional hubs.

Sowulcraft Lifetime* Tape for priceless re-
cordings. For rigorous use. For perfect pro-
gram timing. DuPont "Mylar" Polyester
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it anywhere. Guaranteed for a lifetime!

Get the Soundcraft Recording Tape yon
need today. Your dealer has it.

SOUNDCRAFT

CORP. Dept. F 10

10 East 52nd St., N. Y. 22, N. Y.
FOR EVERY SOUND REASON

THE WORLD'S FINEST TAPES... YET THEY COST NO MORE

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H M 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i I M 1 1 1 1 1

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1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 .'_

WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE

(f j ieafe^/ ranee

IN AMPLIFIER DESIGN
IN TWENTY YEARS!

FISHER

Z-MATIC

THE unusual, the choice — both are a regular and traditional
product of our engineering laboratories. But never before
have we offered a technological advance so obviously needed, so
long overdue, as the exclusive FISHER Z-Matic. Regardless of
the speaker system, be it a modest 8" unit or a giant assembly,
the vast acoustic improvement contributed by FISHER Z-Matic
is instantly apparent and truly astonishing. For Z-Matic has at
one stroke eliminated the energy-wasting, distortion-producing
mismatch that has prevented the complete union of speaker and
amplifier ever since the advent of electronic sound reproduction.
Z-Matic is now standard equipment on all FISHER amplifiers.

What Z-Matic Does

50 -Watt Amplifier • Model 50 -A

100 watts peak! World's finest all-mode
amplifier. Uniform within 1 db 5 to

100,000 cycles. Less than 1% distortion
at 50 watts. Hum and noise 96 db below
full output. Oversize, quality components
and finest workmanship. SI 59.50

• Multiplies the efficiency and effective audible
range of any speaker system, regardless of size.

• The continuously variable Z-Matic control
permits any setting, according to personal taste
or the requirements of the speaker system.

• Eliminates need for oversize speaker enclo-
sures and automatically correct* inherent defi-
ciencies in speaker or speaker housing.

• Z-Matic must not be confused with tone
equalization or loudness balance controls.

A Word to Our Patrons

Your FISHER 50 A or 70-A amplifier can be
readily equipped with Z-Maiic. A complete kit
of parts and easy-to-follow instructions are
available at a cost of only S2.50 to cover
handling. Give serial number and model.

LETTERS

Continual from page 39

new market with their lower-than-
mediocre High Futility Junk.

Thanks to your magazine and others
for keeping me abreast of latest de-
velopments and providing a reliable
source of information for ordering
records during my stay here. I hope
to be back soon, so please advise my
neighbors to order their ear-muffs now
while the price is right. It's going to be
an ordeal for the first month or so.

Charles A\. Freeman, Jr.
c/o Postmaster
San Francisco Calif.

Sir:

... A query. Is there any method by
which the overseas record shopper can
get really decent record service and at
the same time benefit of discount
prices? My own experiences over a
couple of years of dealing with a big
New York discount house have not
been happy. The number of obviously
faulty records with major blemishes
apparent to the poorest vision which
reached me would surprise you. 1
doubt if the much vaunted 30% saved
me much. I am sure that the policy
prevailed of "let's send this one to the
poor sucker in South America." They
know that formalities, etc.. make re-
turns, etc., impractical. . . . Surely
there must be in the U.S. discount
houses which realize how large the
dollar looms to people abroad and who
are prepared to offer a reasonable dis-
count coupled with service of a less
"sharp practice" nature. If you can tell
me of one they can have my dollar
business such as it is. I know discount
shopping is on a caveat emptor basis
but it exists and there must be some-
one somewhere who possibly at the
expense of 20% instead of 30ff» will
supply quality stock.

/. T. Hyslop
British Embassy
Amman, Jordan

Sir:

I do not intend to renew after reading
in one of your late issues [June, p. 52]
what you have to say about Roberta
Peters. I realize that you are entitled
to your own opinion, even though it
may be solely for the purpose of boost-
ing your own ego, but from now on I
am not interested in anything you have
to say about anything or anybody.

I have been following opera for
some 30 years, and have heard Miss
Peters every time she has appeared in

Continued on page 43
October, 1954

Master Audio Control ■ V£r

'Finest unit yet offered. ' Radio and
TV News. 25 choices of record equali-
zation, separate bass and treble tone con-
trols, loudness balance control. 5 inputs
and 5 input level controls. 2 cathode fol-
lower outputs.

Chassis, S89.50 * With cabinet S97.50

25- Watt Amplifier ■ Model 70-A [

50-watts peak! More clean nans per dollar. :

Less ihan 1/2% distom'on ai 25 waits (0.05% :

at 10 waits.) Response within 0.1 db 20- :

20.000 cycles; 1 db, 10 to 50.000 cycles. Hum :

and noise virtually non-measurable! S99.50 Z

Price! Slightly Higher Well 0/ the Itockiet *

WRITE TODAY FOR COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS
FISHER RADIO CORP. ■ 21-25 44th DRIVE • I. I. CITY 1, N. Y.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

hear MORE with espey- HEAR more with FSPEy

TUBE

Model 710
FM RECEIVER

Advanced circuit design with 2 stages of
limiters driving a Foster Seeley discrimina
tor, drilt compensated oscillator plus
automatic frequency control, maximum
sensitivity obtained by tuned RF stages,
built-in antennas, anti-hum control, pre amp
tube lor magnetic cartridges, 23 db bass
and treble controls, Williamson-type
amplifier. SENSITIVITY: 3 microvolts. AM;
5 microvolts, FM, for 30 db quieting. POWER
OUTPUT: 12 watts with l/4"e total harmonic
distortion. AUDIO RESPONSE: Flat within
1/2 db from 20 to 20,000 cycles.

$149.50

Makers of
Fine Radios &
Audio Equipment
Since 1928

Model 700
14 TUBE AM-FM TUNER

Advanced circuit design with 2 stages of
limiters driving a Foster Seeley discrimina-
tor, drilt-compensated oscillator plus
automatic frequency control, maximum
sensitivity obtained by tuned RF stages,
built-in antennas, anti-hum control, pre amp
tube for magnetic cartridges, 23 db bass
and treble controls. SENSITIVITY: 3 micro-
volts, AM; 5 microvolts, FM, tor 30 db quiet-
ing. AUDIO RESPONSE: Flat within 1/4 db
from 20 to 20,000 cycles. SELECTIVITY: AM
lOkc at 6 db; FM 240kc at 6 db. DIS-
TORTION: Less than 1/4% total with 1 volt
audio out. Operates with Model 501 or any
standard amplifier. $119,50

Model 501
8 TUBE AMPLIFIER

Williamson-type with a split load phase
inverter driving (our 6V6's in push-pull
parallel; high quality transformers made with
grain-oriented steel laminations at the com-
pany's Saratoga Division; 24 watts power
handling capability with less than 1/2%
total harmonic distortion; frequency response
from 10 to 20,000 cycles; hum level is so
low that it can be detected only by instru-
ments; can be driven to full rated output
with 1 volt audio.

Operates with Model 700 or any standard

tuner.

$79.95

HI-FI

See Your Nearest Dealer or Write Direct

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Inc.

530 East 72nd Street, New York 21, New York

See our exhibit • Booth 634-635 at the AUDIO FAIR • Hotel New Yorker • October 14 through 17,
42

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

LETTERS

Continued from page 41

rhis city - in fact heard her receive 17
curtain calls last Saturday for a marvel-
ous Lucia performance. On my side I
have thousands of people in this city,
my wife (who is a highly trained musi
cian), members of the Cincinnati Sym-
phony Orchestra with whom we are
acquainted. On your side there is one
alleged critic who blasted Miss Peters
much in the same manner as you have.
He has since gone back into the ob-
livion from whence he should never
have come.

Lewis B. Harm)
Cincinnati, Ohio

James Hinton, reviewing Miss Pe-
ters' recording ("Youngest Mem-
ber of a Great Tradition," KCA
Victor LM 1 786), said Miss Peters
was not yet quite ready to be classed
with Mine. Tetrazzini in her prime.
This is blasting? — Ed.

Sir

This letter is sent to you from Brazil
where 1 live — and where I suppose
you have no distributors or representa-
tives.

Vet, in this country, the shops you
call "Houses of Audio" do not exist,
practically, and unless by the reading
of "High Fidelity" Magazine, we
Audiophiles — almost cannot be in
time with your up-to-date Audio
Equipment.

By this way, as soon as I got one copy
of its last issue (the May edition), 1
walked my eyes throughout every
HI-FI propaganda in it, when suddenly
I was amazed by that one of yours —
TRANSIENTS — in which you speak
of your "Koustical Lens" (page 14.'.

Vou probably do not know that
here in Brazil, copies of "High Fidel-
ity" Magazine are very few almost
unavailable and each of them "rock-
ets" to $yoo!

Funny, isn't it!

Maybe, for the above reason, we use
to follow its pages carefully to the end,
before starting to point out the best
HI-FI systems and components.

Believe it, your 175 DLH High Fre-
quence Unit took my attention for a
bit more time than others did, also
fine.

So, 1 wished to know more-detailed
specification about it, and the complete
line of James B. Lansing products, and
the resulting of that was the letter you
got in your hands.

Continued on page 1 1 4

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M M I M 1 1

TO COMPLETE YOUR
HOME MUSIC SYSTEM

FISHER

ACCESSORIES

MIXER-FADER • Model 50-M

NEW! Electronic mixing or fading of any two signal
sources (such as microphone, phono, radio, etc.) No
insertion loss. Extremely low hum and noise level. High
impedance input; cathode follower output. 12AX7 tube.
Self-powered. Beautiful plastic cabinet. Only $1 9.95

PREAMPLIFIER-EQUALIZER • 50-PR

Professional phono equalization. Separate switches for
HF roll-off and LF turn-over; 16 combinations. Handles
any magnetic cartridge. Extremely low hum. Uniform
response, 20 to 20,000 cycles. Two triode stages. Fully
shielded. Beautiful cabinet. Self-powered. $22.95

HI-LO FILTER SYSTEM ■ Model 50-F

Electronic, sharp cut-off filter system for suppression of
turntable rumble, record scratch and high frequency
distortion — with absolute minimum loss of tonal range.
Independent switches for high and low frequency cut-off.
Use with any tuner, amplifier, etc. $29.95

PREAMPLIFIER • Model PR-5

A self-powered unit of excellent quality, yet moderate
cost. Can be used with any low-level magnetic cartridge,
or as a microphone preamplifier. Two triode stages.
High gain. Exclusive feedback circuit permits long out-
put leads. Fully shielded. Uniform response, 20 to 20,000
cycles. $12.57

PROFESSIONAL PHONO CARTRIDGES

America's first factory-sealed, moving coil phonograph
cartridge. You are the first to handle the cartridge you
buy. High compliance improves low frequency response,
reduces record hiss and wear. Exclusively with diamond
stylus. Model 50-LP (33-45) or Model 50-ST (78).

Each $37.50

SPEAKER ENCLOSURE • Model 50-H

Can be used with 12" or 15" single, coaxial, dual or
triaxial speaker systems. Its over-all balance is instantly
apparent. Smooth response to below 30 cycles. Does not
require corner placement. Improves any speaker.

Model 50-HM (Mahogany) $1 14.50
Model 50-HB (Blonde) $1 1 9^50

Pr/ce) Slightly Higher WeJ/ of fhe Rockiei
WRITE TODAY FOR COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS

FISHER RADIO CORP. • 21-25 44th DRIVE • L. I. CITY 1, N. Y.

Illlllll lllll

11111111111

llllllllllll

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

C-108 Professional Audio Compensator

The abundant flexibility of the beautiful new
Mcintosh C-108 Professional Audio Compensator assures you
of the most listening pleasure from all of your records. Five bass

turnover switches and five treble attenuation positions as well as variable bass
and treble controls compensate for all recording curves — those in
use today and any that may be used in the future. A rumble filter diminishes

or completely eliminates turntable rumble, especially annoying when
listening to older records. An Aural Compensator Control maintains

proper bass and treble loudness when you play your system
at low volume level. The C-108 lor the first time combines

beauty and abundant flexibility with ease of operation.

FREE RECORO COMPENSATION GUIDE ~

Mcintosh Laboratory, Inc

322 Water St., Binghamton, N. Y

Please send \uur helpful chart of 43
record coinparu compensation cimcs
for best pla\ back results

Name

Address.

_Zi>ne State_

HMntosh

LABORATORY, INC.

322 Wotei Street • Binghamton, N. Y.
Export D.viiion. 25 Warren St., New York 7, N. Y.

Cable simOntrice

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

AS THE EDITORS SEE IT

J- WO ISSUES ago, in August, we took up the question
of what the buyer of high fidelity equipment had the right
to expect in the way of extras — service and installation
help and what have you — from the dealer from whom he
made the purchase. Our answer was, "Very little." We
explained why and, in so doing, touched briefly on the
basic sales problems of the high fidelity industry.

Quite recently, some new aspects of the price structure
in this industry have made their appearance, and they pose
a problem for everyone: manufacturer, dealer, consumer,
even publisher. Let's review from the beginning. Once upon
a time "list prices" were quoted in advertisements and sales
literature. Establishment of list prices by manufacturers
was predicated on the assumption that the sales pattern
for high fidelity equipment would be the same as for, let
us say, electric toasters. If a consumer wanted a toaster,
he bought it from a local dealer who bought it from a
wholesaler who bought it from the manufacturer. But as
the high fidelity industry grew, it did not follow the normal
pattern of distribution, for, in the earliest days, there wasn't
any high fidelity equipment; it was professional equipment.
And since consumers weren't supposed to want profes-
sional equipment, there weren't any retailers who carried it.
Therefore the consumer, wanting a "professional" ampli-
fier, had to buy it from what was, in reality, a wholesaler.
And the wholesaler wasn't very certain what price to charge:
the list price or the dealer price, which was, most of the
time, 40% off. (The discount, by the way, is established by
the manufacturer, not the dealer.) It became relatively
common practice for the wholesaler to extend the discount.
The big catalog-distributing mail-order houses added fuel
to the fire by publishing net prices.

To shorten a long and somewhat complicated history,
consumers soon discovered the mail-order houses, whole-
salers soon found they were in the retail business as dealers
and were selling over-the-counter to consumers. Fewer
and fewer advertisers quoted list prices; go back through
the pages of High Fidelity and you will see list prices
dropping out, professional user and /or audiophile net
prices being quoted, and now even these are disappearing
in favor of simply a dollar sign with maybe a "net price"
ahead of it.

It was natural that during this evolution various groups
got behind the eight ball for a while. Some consumers
paid list prices and were justifiably wrathful when they
discovered they could have bought at net prices. (Their
annoyance spilled over in letters to us.) Some businessmen
who wanted to go into the high fidelity retail business
found that manufacturers' sales policies had not caught
up with the times: manufacturers still thought in terms
of wholesalers and large-quantity sales. Therefore the
would-be dealer, who could buy only in small quanti-
ties, had to buy from the same outlet (a wholesaler-become-
dealer) and at the same price as his potential customers.

October, 1954

Manufacturers stewed over this problem for many a night-
hour; it was obviously more economical for them to sell a
carload than a carton. Yet today almost all manufacturers
sell direct to dealer in small as well as large quantities, and
our mail now contains only a rare squawk from a dealer
about our advertisers showing net instead of list prices.

And thus net prices have become firmly established on
practically all types of high fidelity equipment. That
having been accomplished, we find that thereare exceptions.
The so-called discount houses (written up in Life some
weeks ago) seem to be eyeing hi-fi equipment. There are
rumors of individual sales being made at less than net
prices. And there are (and have been, for some time) dealers
who want to advertise in High Fidelity equipment to be
sold at prices lower than the commonly accepted "audio-
phile net."

That poses a tough problem for all concerned. A price
reduction by a manufacturer, which he extends to all his
dealers and which can be passed on to consumers — ah,
nothing is sweeter. But isolated reductions or cuts are
another matter. The manufacturer's other dealers resent
it as a practice which threatens their business. Their
ire extends even to the magazines that spread the word
of these reductions. And if we don't spread the word,
our readers get mad because we aren't performing our be-
holden duty to make our readers aware of a good thing.

As we said, in one form or another this problem has been
with us ever since the Magazine started. Our experience so
far indicates that the two-legged policy on which we have
been standing ever since the first issue is satisfactory
to a majority of those concerned. Leg No. 1 of this policy
places the responsibility for the establishment and main-
tenance of prices upon the manufacturer. Therefore, when
someone comes along with a price which is below normal,
we check with the manufacturer. If the manufacturer says
the price conforms to his policy, that clears Leg No. 1 —
but not necessarily the second leg of our policy, which is:
the opportunity must, to the best of our knowledge, be a
good opportunity insofar as our readers are concerned,
pricewise. Which is to say that, for example, a "special
reduction" must indicate its limitations and be what it is
claimed to be.

Even this policy, moderate though we think it is, has
cost us a considerable amount of revenue, and will con-
tinue to do so; just recently it obliged us to cancel out
a large-space advertiser because we did not feel that his
advertisement gave sufficiently complete information. It
has cost us the support of dealers who would sell High
Fidelity if we would show only "list" prices. It will not
please everyone, ever. But we insist that readers should
be able to have confidence in every page of the magazine
and not, when they come to an advertising page, have to
slip on a pair of glasses which superimpose the words
caveat emptor. — C. F.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

i ii

. - r 0

Although music is made to be heard, there is a lot
to be said for reading on the subject. The author says it,
very well we think, in the first of his surveys for those who want to . . .

READ ALL ABOUT IT

by JAMES HINTON, JR.

ST RESUMABLY, incomes ample enough to support in-
dulgence in hgh-fidelity sound equipment and recordings
are also ample enough to support the purchase of a book
now and then. Also presumably, at least some of the
owners of such incomes are both literate and interested in
music as something more than a kind of aural air-condi-
tioning, never really noticed except by its absence from
rooms not wired for it, and as something more than a ve-
hicle for extreme frequencies. Music is coming to be of
greater and greater importance to many who before either
ignored it, avoided it, or just casually took it as it happened
along, without, in any case, finding much occasion to
think about it.

Part of a normal reaction — or of one normal reaction
— to a sudden access of interest in an art is to want to
know more about it. And how better to know more than
to read up? The question is: What to read, and what to
expect of it. Like most good questions, it isn't easy to
answer categorically. Depends on what you want to find
out — and on what you realize you can't find out at all just
by reading. Since undiscriminating reading can lead to
frustration, it may not be a bad idea to review the general
subject of finding out about music.

Lay listeners to music — and in this usage "lay" means,
in effect, completely uninformed — can be divided into
two major groups: First, those who are quite happy not
knowing anything about the music they hear and are con-
tent to just listen without even glancing at a record liner.
Second, those who feel guilty or inferior or worried,
or combative, because they know they don't know, and
wish they did.

In a very significant way, those in the first group are on
the trail, even if they don't even know that. At best, their
listening can be relaxed but serious, their perceptions direct
and healthy. At worst, needless to say, they are absolutely
impossible. No matter how much fun they may have, it is
not remotely possible to know what they actually do hear,
for the very simple reason that they themselves can't tell.
Without pressing the point further, they are like people
who enjoy operas but can't be bothered finding out what
the words mean.

In the second group there are, roughly, two sub-groups.
First, those who look with awe on anyone who knows
sharp from flat but despair themselves of ever penetrating
the mystery. Second, those who are determined somehow
to be in the know. Those who simply despair are too lazy
to merit sympathy, so they might as well pretend they don't

care and brazen it out. Those determined to be in the
know are the ones who cause — and ask for — trouble.

For they are faced with a paradox, no less real and
dangerous for being camouflaged and easily lost sight of:
The only way to know music is to listen to it. And "lis-
ten," please take note, absolutely does not mean "submit."
It means precisely what it says — listen. Listen actively,
thinkingly, receptively, until your ears are simply the
channels through which the music flows in, until you
hear what is in the music, what the composer put there,
insofar as the performers (and record makers) are able to
encompass it.

The composer is the primary creative force. His are the
ideas; his is the music; his is the purest and most important
art. But he can communicate only so much as the per-
formers can transmit — only so much as the listener can
apprehend. This may seem troublesomely metaphysical,
but it is central, and must never be recognized as less. The
intent must never be mistaken for the deed.

All of this, no doubt, makes finding out about music
seem a terribly arduous way to spend time, and reading
about it instead of listening to it, by implication, an al-
most masochistic waste of energy. Neither is true. The
only real point of caution to be made is that in reading
about music no one should have any illusion as to what he
is doing; there is a difference between building an artistic
vocabulary and understanding an art. The thing to re-
member — platitudinous though it may be — is that if
musical ideas were capturable in words there would be
no art called music. Its corollaries: Never take anything
written about music at face value; distinguish carefully
between description and cause-and-effect, even if
the writer does not; cultivate profound suspicion of ex
post facto psychological analyses, even by composers
themselves; avoid mistaking techniques for ideas; flee
from subjective mnemonic programs as guides to
musical form; shun the how-to-appreciate wherever you
smell its presence; and, above all, remember that you
have ears.

Essentially, there is no reason to read up on music at
all, unless by doing so one is going to bring to his listen-
ing a heightened awareness of problems and intentions and
a richer feeling for individualities of all kinds — all ending
ultimately in an ability to comprehend, with sympathy,
if not necessarily with liking, the musical dialects of here
and now. For music is an art, and if it is to live cannot
remain static long. To understand Mozart and Beethoven

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

and Wagner is all very well, but all has gone for nothing
if the understanding gained is not brought forward in
time to apply to Schonberg, Stravinsky, Hindemith, and
composers whose names have yet to find places in the
newspapers, let alone the Schwann catalog.

Considering all the pitfalls, inevitable disagreements,
and plain difficulties of writing well and sensibly about
music, there are many fine books on its various phases.
There are also at least as many indescribably bad books,
and a huge number of varyingly undistinguished ones.
In naming titles, any one person runs the risk of incurring
wrath for every one included and many of those not in-
cluded. The simple fact is that no one person is likely to
be able to speak with authority on the values of books
whose surest claim to inclusion must be based on reli-
ability in areas of special expertise. All that can be done
is to stick close to the median of scholarly approval, re-
serving for personal judgment such matters as readability
and usefulness to the non-expert reader. It is not damning,
I think, to say in advance that anyone with special areas of
interest is quite likely to find things that he believes in-
correct or that rouse him to violent dissent. That is pretty
nearly unavoidable in general surveys, and seems relatively
unimportant.

What does seem important — and it is the basis for this
selection — is that any book recommended to the general
reader should be generally reliable as to facts; clearly writ-
ten (glittering style is too much to hope for); and scholarly,
in the sense of not being marred by excessive bias.

So, to begin, take general reference works, on the theory
that some book of this kind ought to be in any library
where music is encountered, both as a firm factual base
and as a working glossary-identifyer useful in running
down technical terms and casually mentioned names in
books that presuppose knowledge — or the possession of
a reference book — and even more useful in checking con-
fusions, suspect factual statements, and general sloppiness
in the run of explanatory notes printed on record jackets.
Perhaps everyone knows that Allegro, ma
non troppo means simply "Fast — but not
too," and that Allegretto means "Pretty
lively," but time was when everyone didn't.
The moral should be apparent. Similarly,
if a reference that is more than a dictionary
is chosen, there will be a way of finding
out, at home, the first names of those poor
people who never seem to get them in
print anywhere else — like Tartini (Giu-
seppe).

The most expensive, and biggest, of
encyclopedias is Sir George Grove's Dic-
tionary of Music and Musicians. The classic
reference work in English, first published
in 1879, it has — or had; the fifth revision is promised this
fall — a flavor all its own, with many articles wonderfully
cantankerous and opinionated, errors not unknown, but
a tremendous store of detailed information, especially on
matters English and German. But nine volumes for $127
may give most individuals pause enough to think twice.
It is in a class by itself, perhaps aside from Alfred Ein-

OCTOBER, 1954

stein's 1929 revision of Riemann's Musik Lexicon, hard to
get in this country now, but a distinguished work.

The best American all-round reference is, faut de mieux,
Oscar Thompson's The International Cyclopedia of Music
and Musicians, a thick, bulky, quarto-sized volume, last
revised in 1952. It is somewhat uneven in the value of its
entries, but amazingly full and free from bad errors. Ex-
tremely useful for those who caxe are two things: complete
lists of works by composers at all significant, and a whop-
ping 80-page bibliography. It is easily worth the $18.50
it costs, but be sure you have a sturdy table top ready to
receive it.

In third place there is Percy Scholes's The Oxford Com-
panion to Music (Oxford University Press). Last revised in
1947, it has the distinction of being at once perhaps the
pleasantest and most maddening reference of its kind.
Rambling, garrulous, full of special pleading and preju-
dices, it is much more a one-man job than the others. All
told, its fabulous store of odd information and its talky
charm nearly makes up for its faults, which are numerous.
Even though published in this country too, it is British
to the core, and a great deal of space is given over to
individuals and phenomena that are of almost purely in-
sular importance, with capricious, inexact, skimpy, or non-
existent entries for non-British contemporaries. Cross-
referenced as fully as anyone could reasonably wish, it
presents the problem of following names like that of
Beethoven through articles scattered over the whole vol-
ume, and ulcers can be got in coping with the compiler's
uncanny habit of dropping into a general chat just when a
date or a hard fact is most wanted. But the information
is rich, the illustrations lavish and fascinating, the charm
undeniable. If you don't find what you are looking up,
you can always just read. Few books are such fun to
wander in, even for $17.50.

That covers the encyclopedia field, although there are
some good volumes of limited scope and various books of
the Milton Cross and David Ewen variety that bear some
resemblance to better texts. But there
are various less-expensive references of the
dictionary type, the best, perhaps, being
Willi Apel's The Harvard Dictionary of
Music (Harvard University Press) and Percy
Scholes's reduction of the Companion, called
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (Ox-
ford University Press). Both have short-
comings, but both are good.

The Apel dictionary proceeds along his-
torical lines and runs to longer discussions
of technical terms and more general matters.
The Scholes preserves some of the frustrat-
ing characteristics of its encyclopedia
parent, but many entries are added, and
the special endearing flavor is not lost. Since the Scholes
book is eight years younger (1952) and costs $6.00 as
against the Apel $8.50, it is probably the most satisfactory
buy among hand-sized musical references. If just a glossary
is wanted, there are many — mostly inadequate. Probably
the best is Theodore Baker's A Dictionary of Musical Terms
(G. Schirmer and Co.), 30 years old but still standard.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

None of these references is a popularization or layman's
watering-down of serious material. There are many such,
but any minor advantages they may seem to have are out-
weighed by failures to meet technical problems squarely
and define terms adequately. Nothing is more frustrating
than to seek enlightenment and then find yourself being
condescended to, or the author incompetent, just when a
crucial point is reached. Witness certain hi-fi-for-the-
millions pamphlets, and avoid like the plague their musical
counterparts.

-lXFTER basic references, it is a matter of choice what next
— and a matter of individual orientation, too. Biographies
and other books that focus on small parts of the musical
past are very often not only fascinating to read but quite
illuminating as to matters of social background, personal
habits, and psychological temper. They can also provide
a fund of anecdotal material and lend the facile reader a
kind of spurious air of knowledgeability. But that is
material for another day. Here the concern is with books
primarily about music itself rather than with books about
the people who make it. No matter how perceptive such
books may be, they are not directly to the point.

Arbitrarily, it seems important next that the reader be
brought in direct contact with the mind of the composer.
This seems even more vital than filling in historical under-
standing beyond the basic facts. That can come later.

Not all composers write, or have written, well, and cer-
tainly not all have been able to set down words that shed
great floods of light on the processes of musical creation.
If they could, they might not have become composers at
all. But of all members of the musical community, think-
ing composers are far and away the best qualified to speak
of their art, and it is in writings by composers that words
come closest to the springs of action of the creative musical
personality. Not always is this so. Some composers are
inarticulate. Some soar away on words in subjective
flights that are almost impossible to relate to musical
realities. But even at worst there is a unique value to the
listener in knowing what it is that composers think about
when they think about music — or even what they think
they are thinking about when they think about music,
for the two are not necessarily identical. But no matter
how imperfect the words may be, here the creator has a
chance to tell the listener the kinds of considerations he
believes are important in his art.

In reading writings of composers, it is well to read
thoughtfully and with a clear view of his processes of
thought, watching for indulgence, overstatement for effect,
and what might be called creative bias in looking at the
state of music generally. "Bias," here, it ought to be said,
does not mean "technical axe-grinding." It does mean
that because he is committed as he is to the creation of
music a composer-writer can hardly help being influenced
by the convictions he holds. But this, ultimately, is the
source of value in what he has to say. Read carefully and
sympathetically — for comprehension, not for quotation
or dispute — and listen to the music. Much can be gained.

One of the most stimulating possible exercises a listener-
reader can engage in is alternate readings of two books —
Igor Stravinsky's Poetics of Music (Harvard University Press)
and Arnold Schonberg's Style and Idea (Philosophical
Library). Published in 1947 and 1950, respectively, these
two books together present a kind of aesthetic polarity.
Here is the problem of music today, the fundamental
difference of opinion that in one way or another affects
almost all contemporary music — and they relate to all
Western music ever. That is, the idea of music as emotional
communication as opposed to the idea of music as formal
design in sound. The arguments, bound up in, but not
limited by, the technical conclusions of the men, are
rigorous, but by no means impossible to follow, and more
vital than the fact that they tell much about the musical
personalities of Stravinsky and Schonberg is the stimulation
they give to active listening. These are not easy books, but
no one honestly interested in music can afford to stay on a
soft diet all his life.

Similarly excellent, less categorical and doctrinaire, are
Aaron Copland's books — especially Music and Imagina-
tion (Harvard University Press), which, like Stravinsky's
book, is made up of published versions of Charles Eliot
Norton Lectures delivered at Harvard. Beautifully written,
the essays are mature, humane considerations of the fun-
damental complex of problems that must concern everyone
involved in the creation, performance, or hearing of music.
Published in 1952, it is a slimmer but, on the whole, I
think, much better book than What to Listen for in Music
(McGraw-Hill), published 15 years ago. This book, de-
signed for the non-musician, written from the composer's
point of view, rises above but does not entirely escape from
the bane of its how-to-do-it title. Certainly one of the
most helpful of its kind.

A somewhat tougher nut, but an excellent treatment by
a composer of the composer-performer-listener relation-
ship, is Roger Sessions' The Musical Experience. A bit of
quasi-journalistic venom about commercialization of music
sometimes lowers the philosophical tone and perhaps
colors the conclusions, but no one can justly blame com-
posers today for being bitter. The writing lacks gloss,
and sometimes sharpness of line, but always apparent are
the high virtues of intellect and honesty.

OT in quite the same category are various books by
Virgil Thomson, who recently resigned as critic of the New
York Herald-Tribune. His reviews, such as those gathered
in The Art of Judging Music (A. A. Knopf), published in
1948, glitter with penetrating comment. Few men,
and surely few composers, have written about music with
so much wit and point. The evaluations are sometimes
flip and often — almost always, in fact — gauged for
shock effect in a context that may never have existed
except in his private thoughts. But more than almost any
critic he has the capacity for catching the occasion in a
phrase and telling how a piece of music sounded, what it
was like to be there. Another delightful and revealing
book by a composer is Claude Continued on page 125

High Fidelity Magazine

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EvMORY COOK, a man whose name has become
synonymous with the capture of extraordinary sound on
records, says he is not an artist. This is reminiscent of
Arturo Toscanini's well-known insistence that he is not
a genius. Toscanini would reserve the title of genius to
the man who creates, withholding it from the man who
interprets. Cook, in turn, would reserve the title of
artist to the man who interprets, withholding it from
the man who perpetuates the interpretation on tape or
disks. He is very firm about this.

"I have a theory," he explains, "that most recording
engineers are frustrated musicians. They want to put
themselves into the records they make, from behind a
forest of microphones and a 17-channel mixer, to 'create'
something they can identify later, with pride, and say
'This is me!'

"It is better to resign yourself," he goeson, admonish-
ing Emory Cook and his profession sternly, but with
a touch of rue, "to having missed the boat. You're not
an artist; you're a craftsman, a documentor, and that's
all. The channel should add nothing to the content."

Although this is put forward with undoubted sin-
cerity, it would be more convincing if it came from
someone other than Emory Cook. No doubt Cook
tries to maintain his non-contributive attitude when he
is recording, say, the New Orchestral Society of Boston
playing the Brahms First in Symphony Hall. However,

Thunder-hunt. A lightning
by 5° Jeet test year is heard

when he outlined his theory of
the Self-Effacing Recordist, he
was fresh from the slopes of Mt.
Washington, in western Massa-
chusetts, where he had . spent
several days recording thunder-
storms. And his reasons for
choosing this peak as the place
to catch the voice of the storm
(the record on which he was
working, tentatively titled The
Voice of the Storm and the Sea,
has been scheduled for release
sometime in October) are il-
luminating.

"For one thing," he says,
"things happen there that
don't happen elsewhere. There
are continuous winds, and it's
a spot where you can track a
storm half around the horizon,
using a microphone with a
parabolic reflector.

"Then, too, there's a high-
frequency component in the
sound of a thunderbolt that you
don't usually hear, unless it's too damn close to appreci-
ate. Normally all you get is the bass reverberation. The
high-pitched sound is absorbed by the terrain. But it's
there, and from the mountain I could still pick it up at
eight or 10 miles. Sounds like a frighteningly close storm,
but with nicer acoustic perspective."

In other words, the thunder in The Voice of the Storm
is not ordinary, down-in-the-valley thunder. It is special
Emory Cook thunder, as heard by eagles, complete with
high-frequency sizzle and tape-edited for maximum dra-
matic effect. "Al right, maybe I do try to make it into a
composition," he admits. "I just don't want to get too
heady about it."

Cook, now 41, is a blue-eyed man who looks younger
than he is. He is well set up, and his rather craggy, agree-
able face usually is reddened slightly by wind and sun.
"When you're after the sounds of the elements," he points
out, "you sometimes have to go and camp out and stalk
them." Commonly he does this alone, in a big, dark
blue Cadillac loaded to the limit with sound-gear. He
traveled 10,000 miles, over the past three years, collecting
the endlessly varied Voice of the Sea. En route he picked
up a rich miscellany of other sounds as well, ranging from
gull-cries and backwoods Haitian drums to Southwest
bar-room pianos, all due to make their appearance sooner
or later on Cook Laboratories' "Sounds of Our Times"
records. Many will be included in his forthcoming 1 1 -record
series "Road Recordings," a sort of traveler's sonic diary.

Cook is the perfect traveler. Although his prime in-
terest is in sounds, he savors gratefully everything about
the areas he traverses — the architecture, the philosophy,
the old wives' tales and children's games, the night life
and particularly the food, wines and liquors. Apparently
he always has had this vigorous appetite for color and

bolt that missed Cook
in his new storm-disk.

variety, but until recent years
he had little chance to satisfy it.
He was born in Albany, N. Y.,
a quiet, middle-sized city tedi-
ously obsessed with state poli-
tics. Boarding school was hardly
more stimulating. Then he was
admitted to Massachusetts In-
stitute of Technology, and life
at once brightened dazzlingly.
People who think of Cambridge,
Mass., as an unexciting place
simply do not see it through the
eyes of a college freshman who
has been bored for 18 years.
Cook began an untiring round
of bull-sessions and beer, dances
and dates, which lasted through
what he recalls as one of the most
splendid years of his life. At its
end, the authorities ungraciously
suggested that he continue his
education elsewhere.

"Elsewhere," in this instance,
turned out to be Cornell. Sated
for the nonce with living it up,
Emory buckled down briskly to the business of acquiring
a degree (Electrical Engineering, with Communications
option), which he won without trouble. He emerged
into the depression-within-a-depression of the late 1930s
and, for lack of a job, briefly attended Columbia graduate
school. Thereafter he worked at the Pleasant Valley sub-
station of the Niagara-Hudson System, world's largest
power substation, and for CBS in New York, neither for
very long.

When the war began, he went into radar work at Western
Electric, where his bent for tinkering came to the fore
and he distinguished himself by inventing what is known
as the Mark I Fire-Control Radar Trainer, a device similar
to the famous Link Trainer for airplane pilots. Through-
out the war he worked with the Navy on radar-operator
training in the field, meaning at sea. He calculates that
he shipped on more than 300 different naval vessels,
mostly destroyers.

At intervals ashore, in the New York suburbs, he re-
laxed with music, in a radio-engineer's way. That is to
say, he took to recording concerts off the air, particularly
the Toscanini NBC Symphony broadcasts. A new ur-
gency, born of annoyance, began to possess him. He
could not find any recording equipment that was not
wildly erratic and prone to distortion. He bought and
tried some commercial records, and detected evidence of
the same shortcomings there. It became obvious to him
that the world needed a better record-cutting head, if
homes were to have good music. A design took form in
his mind.

In 1945 he left Western Electric, licensed under A. T.
& T. patents ("Before you can hang a wire on a vacuum
tube, you have to have a license!") to begin manufacture
of the Cook Cutter, in which distortion was to be mini-

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

mized by the application of negative feedback to the cir-
cuit driving the cutting head. Somewhat oversimplified,
this means that any mechanical motion of the cutting stylus
that did not follow exactly the electronic signal would
create a correction signal which, when fed back into the
amplifier, would limit the spurious movement and leave
the electronic-musical signal undistorted. It is harder
than it sounds, but Cook was sure he could make it
work, and that the world would soon beat a path to
his door in Floral Park, Long Island.

Instead, as he says, it turned out to be an elaborate
way of going broke. He had his amplifiers made by Lan-
gevin, a leading manufacturer, and his cutter-parts made
by a local machine shop. He assembled them in his base-
ment. They worked and, though expensive, they sold
(about 75 were sold, and all are still in operation). But
something unforeseen had happened. Tape had appeared,
out of nowhere — actually out of conquered Germany, of
course — and initial recording was no longer being done on
disks. This cut Cook's potential customers to firms doing
last-stage processing, which were rather few. And even
these, he discovered in the course of making installations,
needed something more than new cutting-heads alone to
turn out truly good records. "A man with a roomful of
junk would buy one," Cook recalls, "as if in the hope that
a spoonful of cider would sweeten a jug of vinegar."
Even the best microphones then, he recalls, were noisy,
and the best amplifiers unreliable, which made maintenance
and balancing vital, yet no one seemed to devote much
attention to this, or not enough for Cook's taste.
He decided that a broader reform was needed, reaching
from microphone to disk, and to spark it he made some
records himself.

These were vinylite microgroove 78 rpm's, and he made
only enough to take to the 1949
Audio Fair in New York, where
he hung up a sign which read
simply: COOK 20,000-CYCLE
records. The idea was to sell
recording equipment, but most
visitors wanted to buy the rec-
ords, which put another idea in
Cook's weary but unbowed head.
"Not 78s, though," he explains.
"The long-play idea was com-
pulsive. Besides, if you use a
lightweight pickup, the slightest
warp in a 78 rpm record tosses
it up in the air." He began
delving for some LP source ma-
terial he could use, since he had
no money to pay musicians, and
came up with an idea by Christ-
mas — old-fashioned music box-
es playing Christmas carols. He
didn't know where any ©ld-
fashioned music boxes were to
be found, but fortunately the
American Museum of Natural
History did. A curator gave him

With undampened spirits, Emory braves briny deep.

the names of George and Madeline Brown, of Chatham,
N. J. Cook went down to see the Browns, listened to their
vast collection, and quickly won their support in the pro-
ject. The first Cook record, The Christmas Music Box,
came out just in time for the Yuletide rush, and sold
very well. It still sells very well, in fact; almost 50,000
copies of it are now in American homes.

Cook thinks there are many things more important
than money. However, the taste of profit stayed with him.
In 1 95 1, he showed up at the Audio Fair with an LP
disk which was to make hi-fi history. This was, of course,
Version I of the famous train-noise record, Rail Dynamics.
For three days, the hall outside his exhibit room in the
Hotel New Yorker was jammed solid with fevered audio-
maniacs, blenching with ecstasy at the tremendous whooshes
and roars of Cook's locomotives. The records sold out as
fast as they could be pressed.

Cook himself had no special interest in train noises
to begin with. However, he thought they had nostalgia-
appeal, and he wanted a demonstration-record for the Fair.
There has been speculation that the New York Central
inspired the recording, but it didn't. In fact, the railroad
needed some coaxing to cooperate, and even made Cook
buy a ticket from Harmon to Poughkeepsie and back
when he wanted to record en voiture. He lugged his Cook-
modified Magnecorder, battery and generator around
Harmon and Peekskill, the shunt-and-junction areas,
through several summer nights, stumbling over tracks and
ducking destruction.

Version I carried, on the reverse of the disk, a summer
thunderstorm. Cook withdrew this later (it was a common,
Connecticut valley storm; no high frequencies except a
cricket) and substituted more train-sounds. These he
picked up in a tunnel near Garrison, N. Y., without the
railroad's permission. "It was
pretty precarious," he concedes,
"the clearance wasn't much."

In the process of switching
business-emphasis from cutter-
heads to recordings (he still
makes cutters), Cook had moved
from Long Island to Stamford,
Conn., where he operates today.
His plant occupies 5,000 feet of
floor space, and he employs 15
people, though he does all the
technical work himself, often by
night.

"Our equipment does things,"
says Cook modestly, "that most
engineers wouldn't believe. It
can take, let's see, 33 times the
maximum usable signal without
overloading. It reaches too low
for oscillators to follow; under
16 cycles per second. I'm sure it
goes down to 8. It goes up to
50,000 cycles with distortion too
small for present equipment to
measure. Continued on page 128

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

CUSTOM
INSTALLATIONS

Designer Kenneth Kent says that the cab-
inets above and at the left, in his Los Angeles
home, were conceived in an attempt to "get
away from the usual type of installation. "
The Regency speaker enclosure is in light
walnut and flat white; the equipment rack
has rnasonite panels for color. Hollywood
Electronics made the striking wall assembly
below. Paneled doors close to cover bar and
equipment sections when they aren't in use.

Here's an elaborate installation in Rio <le Janeiro, designed by St, inislaw Kozlowski and Marcele Silva Ramos. Side-rolling
panels cover all the equipment and a good many of the record compartments; Brazilian ivory-wood is used. A turntable with
manual arm and a record changer can he seen, with a short-wave receiver and a TV set too. Curtains are adjustable for de-
sired sound flavor. Corner speaker system is Klipsch type; another over the radio will be used eventually in a hinau ral system.

The Orchestra Came Last

by Roland Gelatt

Not until the third decade after the gramophone's invention
was the first whole symphony recorded — using tubas instead
of double-basses, and violins fitted with directional horns!

DISGRUNTLED record collector in Ohio sat down
at his desk on August 5, 191 3, and addressed a letter to
the Talking Machine News of London. It concerned or-
chestral recordings. Americans with a taste for orchestral
music, he complained, had no choice but to order their
records from abroad. Not that the imports were better
played or better recorded than domestic disks, "but they
afford classical and standard selections either not recorded
at all in this country or given in incomplete or fragmentary
form." As a self-styled "enthusiast for disc music of the
highest order," this correspondent was indeed in a pre-
dicament. He belonged to a minority for whom the
American record companies evinced almost no concern.
To judge from the 1913 Victor catalog, the phonograph-
owner in America was a man of limited tastes but voracious
appetite, who could digest great quantities of vocal music
— especially if it came from a much-performed opera —
and nothing else. In its pages were to be found five differ-
ent recordings of "Una voce poco fa" and "Vissi d'arte,"
seven of "Can name," and eight of the "Toreador Song."

But what if one's musical predilections extended beyond
this abundant but confining largess? What if one longed
to hear from the phonograph some instrumental music
by Beethoven? Well, a collector with such inclinations
could turn to the heading "Beethoven" in Victor's 1913
catalog, and there he would find the "Leonore Overture

No. 3" played by the Victor Concert Orchestra (on three
sides, and thus substantially complete); truncated versions
of the Adagio from the Fourth Symphony and the Andante
from the Fifth performed by the same group; a movement
from the "Emperor" Concerto, arranged for piano solo and
abbreviated to a single record side, played by Frank La
Forge; another version of Leonore No. 3 rent as well as
rendered by Pryor's Band (since it was cut down to one
fourth its normal length); and the first movement of the
"Moonlight" Sonata as interpreted by Vessella's Italian
Band. That was all.

Beethoven, as a matter of fact, came off comparatively
well in the Victor catalog of this period. Haydn was
represented only by an abbreviated "Surprise" Symphony,
and from the vast instrumental output of Mozart the Vic-
tor Company saw fit to extract merely the first movement
(or such of it as would fit on a single 12-inch record side)
from the Concerto for Harp and Flute, played by Ada
Sassoli and John Lemmone with piano accompaniment,
plus a Gavotte and a Menuett (neither of them identified
further) in performances by the violinists Mischa Elman
and Maud Powell. Johann Sebastian Bach could be
sampled in two snippets: the Air for G String played by
Victor Herbert's Orchestra and Mischa Elman, and a
Gavotte in E major as arranged and performed by Fritz
Kreisler.

Here is how things were managed for an orchestral re-
cording session in Columbia's London studio, circa 191 1, as
described by Herbert C. Ridout, advertising manager of

This pre-World War I session happens to be German, not
British, but procedure apparently was much the same.

the English company, in a series of reminiscences pub-
lished by The Gramophone in 1940:

"In the recording room . . . there were a number of small
platforms of varying heights, each large enough to hold
a chair and a music stand. The piano, always an upright,
had its back removed. The Stroh violins were nearest the
horn. Muted strings were never mentioned. The French
horns, having to direct the bells of their instruments towards
the recording horn, would turn their backs on it and were
provided with mirrors in which they could watch the con-
ductor. The tuba was positioned right back away from the
horn and his bell turned away from ir; he also watched in a
mirror. The big drum never entered a recording room. . . .

"The horns projected into the recording-machine room
through a partition. Here, where the operators worked, was
a shrine of mystery. Nobody was allowed to pass into it. . . .
Yet there was not much to be seen. A turntable mounted
on a heavy steel base, controlled by a gravity weight, a float-
ing arm with its recording diaphragm. A small bench,
usually strewn wirh spare diaphragms, and a heating cup-
board where the wax blanks were slightly warmed to soften
the recording surface. Through a sliding glass panel in the
partition the recorder could communicate with artists and
conductor."

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High Fidelity Magazine

The American Columbia catalog was similarly bereft of
symphonic substance: a few easily digestible instrumental
morceaux and stray movements (always in abridged form)
from the most popular symphonies were scattered amidst
a plenitude of operatic arias.

In Europe, as the Ohioan had written, the enthusiast for
orchestral music was better off. In part this was due to
economic causes. Although European record companies
had been the instigators of celebrity operatic issues, their
hegemony in this field was short-lived. The royalties offered
by the Victor Talking Machine Company (and later by
Columbia) were unique, and one by one the celebrated
vocalists of the era transferred their
phonographic allegiance to America.
Thus, in a certain sense the record in-
dustry in Europe was obliged, purely by
force of economic circumstances, to
explore a new area of recorded reper-
toire. But these considerations only
partially explain the drift to orchestral
recording that gathered momentum in
Europe from igio on. Just as the
pioneering operatic issues of a decade
earlier had stemmed from the European
record buyer's demand for something
better than "coon songs" and quadrilles,
sentimental ballads and Sousa marches,
so now did the orchestral issues derive
from a desire for something more am-
bitious than vocal sweetmeats.

This climate of opinion can be de-
tected in the writings of Max Chop (1862- 1929), German
composer, journalist and author, who contributed a weekly
record review column to Die Phonographische Zeitschrift
from 1906 to 1914. Early in 1909, Chop addressed himself
to a survey of the recorded repertoire then available, with
a view to determining how well the phonograph was
serving the well-rounded music lover. The first thing to
be noted, he wrote, was "the predominance of vocal
selections over instrumental ones. One need only study
the lists of new releases to recognize at once the prepon-
derance of singing." This had been the case for years, he
observed; almost every singer of reputation had made
recordings, and as a result the vocal repertoire was more
than amply represented. "Compared to the plethora of
vocal selections," Chop continued, "instrumental works
occupy a relatively small pan of the repertoire. There
are plenty of so-called 'orchestral recordings,' but with a
one-sided emphasis: brass bands. The symphony or-
chestra is only rarely in evidence; yet it is, after all, the
only instrumental body to be considered for really valuable
literature and high artistic quality. The range of repertoire
in this field also remains narrow. First of all, there are
marches, dances, medleys, abbreviated overtures and little
salon pieces of rather questionable merit — all of it rather
mediocre entertainment music. Next to this we find a
growing repertoire of 'hits.' I will not deny the hit's right
to existence. As a child of the times, begotten of the
shallow and the trivial, toward which a wide segment of
the popular taste is oriented, it has a right to live. . . . But

October, 1954

CUUHI&aY OF CtGUHwE MJUkL

Wilhelm Backhaus in 1910, when be
made the first piano concerto record.

it certainly need not spread itself as widely as it does. . . .
Let us have more Lortzing and less Lincke, more Mendels-
sohn and less Rudolf Waldmann. And what about serious
music? The release of the entire Third Leonore Overture
on four sides a few months ago seemed like Redemption
itself. . . . But how rarely does this happen! And if it
does, in transcription for brass band! Why do we not
have any of the preludes to Wagner's music-dramas?
Where are movements from the symphonies of our im-
mortal masters? After all, the musical literature is boun-
tiful indeed!"

Elsewhere in this article the critic complained of the
"arbitrary changes in orchestration" that
were so often perpetrated on the un-
witting record listener. "The original
orchestration," he maintained, "should
be employed as far as the characteristics
of the recording diaphragm and the
soundbox permit. It is true that double
basses and cellos must be discarded a
priori and replaced by the lower wood-
winds and brasses. This is but yielding
to necessity, and though it entails some
coarsening of the melodic line, the total
sound pattern is not too much altered.
On the other hand, arbitrary replace-
ment of the higher strings (violins) by
high-pitched winds (flutes, clarinets,
trumpets) is definitely objectionable. . . .
Such transcriptions are entirely unmusi-
cal. They prove either that the company
making such recordings lacks artistic understanding or
that it places economic considerations above the musical.
Such policies may perhaps bring an initial profit, but they
will surely embarrass their perpetrators in the end, when
a gradually awakening public begins to recognize the ar-
tistic impossibility of such instrumental manipulations.
That serious critics are repelled goes without saying."

A few months later Chop could report that "a begin-
ning has at least been made in presenting our orchestral
literature not only through well-disciplined brass bands
but also through groups employing symphonic instrumen-
tation. ... I recently heard some recordings of the Pre-
lude and Liebestod from Tristan and the Intermezzo from
Cavalleria played by large instrumental groups with sym-
phonic orchestration and recorded almost to perfection.
These are rare occurrences! Yet what a fertile field we have
here in which to plant the seeds of the future!"

Such was the Zeitgeist that led to the efflorescence of
orchestral recording in Europe. But before describing the
first harvests from the fertile field to which Max Chop
referred, it would be well to examine the state of Europe's
record industry as it existed circa 1910. The Gramophone
Company, which retained its pre-eminence in the industry,
had developed in many respects since the early days.
Instead of depending on Eldridge Johnson, across the
Atlantic in Camden, N. J., for gramophone instruments,
it was now making its own equipment in an expansive
new factory that had been built in an industrial town on
the outskirts of London Hayes, Middlesex. The original

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plant in Hanover, which had once manufactured the entire
output of Gramophone Company records, was now taxed
to capacity merely in meeting the demands of the Ger-
man market, while other branch factories had been erected
in Riga (for Russia), Aussig (for the Austro-Hungarian
Empire), Ivry (for France), Barcelona (for Spain), and
Calcutta (for India), with the main plant at Hayes ac-
counting for the English market and the export trade.
The appearance of the disks themselves had changed,
for the original "recording angel" trademark on the label
was now subordinated to Barraud's dog and the legend
"His Master's Voice." Abbreviated to HMV, it became
the name by which — among English-
speaking people, at any rate — the rec-
ords were popularly known.

In Germany a new phonographic
colossus was being formed by the Carl
Lindstrom Company, which in a few
short years had become the leading
manufacturer of talking machines on
the Continent. In quick succession
Lindstrom acquired controlling stock of
several independent German record com-
panies — Odeon, Beka and Favorite,
to name the largest — as well as of
Fonotipia in Italy. By dint of these
amalgamations and German manufac-
turing efficiency, Lindstrom provided
effective competition to the Gramo-
phone Company in the period before
World War I. Pathe was receding in
importance; its near-monopoly of the French market re-
mained unbroken, but elsewhere the vertical-cut disk
which this company continued to espouse had failed to
keep pace with the lateral-cut gramophone record. Colum-
bia, on the other hand, was growing in importance — es-
pecially in England. For years the British branch of Colum-
bia had struggled along under an unimaginative manage-
ment that saw fit to do little else than purvey English
pressings of Columbia recordings made in America. In
1909, however, the London branch was taken over by Louis
Sterling, a young expatriate from New York's lower
East Side, who had previously helped manage an ill-fated
English cylinder company. Sterling (later Sir Louis Sterling)
possessed an unquestioned genius for the record business;
in 1910. as he began to revivify Columbia's affairs in
England, it was just beginning to assert itself.

England, supposedly "the most unmusical nation in
Europe," behaved in characteristically paradoxical fashion
to emerge as the world's leading source of orchestral re-
cordings (a distinction she was to maintain until 1940),
and it was the English branch of the German-owned Odeon
Company which, in April 1909, came forth with the first
large-scale orchestral recording. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker
Suite was the music thus honored, in a performance by the
London Palace Orchestra under the direction of Hermann
Finck. The four double-sided English Odeon disks sold
for 16 shillings, including a special album to hold the
records. Neither the orchestra (a 40-member music-hall
ensemble) nor its conductor were of imposing musical

The great Nikisch. His 1914 Beethoven
T-ijth recording has a disastrous flaw.

eminence, but they succeeded in breaking the old formula
of overtures, medleys and salon pieces and setting a new
one which called for works from the standard orchestral
repertoire in reasonably intact versions. According to a
reporter from the Sound Wave, a British magazine for
talking-machine fans, the Nutcracker recording sessions
"occupied the orchestra for three whole days" and cost
the Odeon Company "upwards of £800" (surely an in-
flated figure). This same publication opined that "no
finer records of orchestral combinations have ever been
placed on sale" and that "the tone of the strings (of
which the Palace Theatre Orchestra is principally composed)
is little short of perfection." Needless
to say, Odeon's advertisements in-
dulged in like hyperbole. They spoke
of a tonal quality "pure in the extreme
and of an ineffable sweetness," of an
interpretation in which "all of the com-
poser's most delicate effects of light
and shade are handled in the daintiest
possible manner." And with a fitting
sense of historical perspective, Odeon's
copy writer averred that "there is no
person of musical perception, however
prejudiced, who, having heard these
records, will fail to become a convert
to the musical possibilities of the Talk-
ing Machine."

A year later, Odeon's English branch
came out with another four-record al-
bum by the same orchestra and con-
ductor, this one devoted to Mendelssohn's incidental
music to A Midsummer Night's Dream. "A veritable re-
cording triumph," the ads said, and continued: "The
makers believe that this series surpasses, if possible, their
previous efforts in this direction. The tone of this new
series is pure in the extreme and of an ineffable sweetness,
and all the composer's most delicate effects of light and
shade are handled in the daintiest possible manner."

Meanwhile, the Gramophone Company had climbed
onto the orchestral band wagon. Landon Ronald, the
accompanist-composer and musical ambassador of the
Gramophone Company since 1901, was now cast in the
role for which he was most congenially suited, that of
conductor. His orchestra was the New Symphony Or-
chestra, an ensemble which really was new, having been
formed in 1907 by a wealthy young musician named
Thomas Beecham. Actually, in their debut on disks
(January 1910) Ronald and the New Symphony were
merely billed as "accompanists" to a 26-year-old pianist
from Germany, Wilhelm Backhaus, in the first recording
ever made of a concerto (or part thereof). On two single-
faced HMV record sides the opening movement of Grieg's
Piano Concerto had to be abbreviated by one half, but
what remained moved the Sound Wave's critic to rhapsodize
over "bursts of eloquent magnificence which mere words
fail to describe" and to register his amazement "at the
success which has attended the first attempt to record a
concerted work."

Torrents of critical scorn had not Continued on page 1/9

High Fidelity Magazine

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Orpheus Id xh^Uinb&rwarift

Marti m s.dworkin

u»

NDER THE WEB of pavements at Times Square in
New York City, witli its raucous noises anj neon visions,
is a maze of tunnels and passageways a subterranean
world whose thoroughfares are always crowded with people
hurrying to and from the many subway lines crossing and
converging on levels cut still deeper in Manhattan's rock.
Stores, lunch-counters, flower-stands, barbershops and other
businesses cater to the unending traffic. One theater on the
Square even has a box-office downstairs in a garish arcade;
it used to be possible to leave the subway and go to the
movies without going outdoors.

The underground box-office isn't used now, but nearby
is a bizarrely-active installation of pinball machines,
girlie peep-shows, take-it-yourself photo booths, mech-
anized games of chance and dubious games of skill. This
carnival midway is presided over by hard-eyed men wearing
aprons in whose capacious pockets jingle vast quantities of
change. Without their coins, the machines lie dormant.
The colored lights of the pinball machines are at rest; the
battle-noises of the target-shooting devices are silent; the
wax gypsy in the fortune-telling machine is motionless,
forever smiling over her fabrications of the future.

But this coin-operated world is rarely still. People
are always hurrying by; some stop to linger at this machine

or that. A few minutes to kill, a few loose coins, and
all the gimcrack pleasures come to fitful life. And, of
course there is music to be bought. A huge juke-box stands
between a snapshot booth and a machine for stamping
names on strips of metal. A dime for two plays. For most
of the day and much of the night, the juke-box is alive,
responding to the coins like all the devices of the place.
But of all the machines, this one has worshipers, rather
than players.

Most of them are young. Some wear ordinary street-
clothes, look as if they had been passing by after work
or college classes. They are usually reserved, raptly lis-
tening to the records, often appearing utterly bemused,
their attention far off somewhere within their own feel-
ings. Once in a while, one of them thoughtfully will pick
through a handful of change from his pockets, looking for
a dime or two to keep the machine going. After depositing
the coin, he will stand before the bank of titles, almost
like a child at a candy-counter, confronted by a fabu-
lous array of wondrous confections, unable to choose the
one that will fulfill the anticipation evoked by all.

But there is another, less transient group, much like
those around juke-boxes everywhere. They wear non-
descript jackets, affect long, shaggy coiffures, use their

October 1954

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bodies in their speech like primitive dancers. Their reac-
tion to the music is more apparent, more vocal, punctuated
by shrugs and gestures and erratic movements expressing
inner turmoil with an eloquence unmatched in their talk.
The latter is in the language of the faithful who meet at
juke-box altars in beer-joints and soda-parlors: the ever-
changing jargon of those who must insist they belong
while others do not — now it is the "hipster" talk of won-
derful, "crazy" renditions, of "flipping" to the music, of
other, disdained pleasures that are just "nowhere."

They could be listening to the lacrimations of Johnny
Ray, or the endocrine expressions of Eddie Fisher — or
any other crooners, male or female, who provide vicari-
ous articulation for emotional incoherence. But the juke-
box stands under a sign announcing, "A Treasury of Im-
mortal Performances," the trade-marked slogan of a brand
of classical recordings. And the music is out of Italian op-
era, sung and played by the gaudiest names of the genre:
Caruso, Tagliavini, Albanese, Bjoerling, Peerce, Toscanini.

The heart of the surface city pulsates above, the sub-
ways rumble their steely gutturals below. But here Jussi
Bjoerling's clear lyric tenor sounds the Siciliana from
Cavalleria Rusticana — followed, perhaps, by the ecstatic
despair of Licia Albanese's Un bel di vedremo, from Madama
Butterfly, or her ardent Addio del passato, from La Traviata.
All the selections are of the lush melodic type favored on
"gala" programs — even the orchestral works, which fea-
ture Toscanini's readings of the overture to Rossini's
The Barbei of Seville, and Von Suppers venerable veteran of
bandstand concerts, The Poet and Peasant Overture. Only
his recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute Overture suggests
a bridge to less obviously emotional areas of "classical"
music.

There are rare moments when the music may be heard
without the clash of other sounds: the ringing bells of
various pinball machines; the staccato drumming of the
target-shooting devices; the whistles, sirens and whiz-
bang noises of the various games; the shouts of the players
and nearby vendors of hot frankfurters and newspapers.
But the hipster-aesthetes around the juke-box are uncon-
cerned. Their ears apparently can select the sounds they
wish to hear from the chaos of noises. The operatic

virtuosi hold their audience here much as the crooners
and jazz instrumentalists must do among the constant
aural and visual distractions of the crowded night-clubs
where they perform — or the smoky saloons or clattering
eating places where they are heard on records.

Nor does serious opera seem out of place for the dedi-
cated who gather here. It is unlikely that many of them
have ever seen an opera, in an opera house. They belong
to a vast public that knows "opera" only as a succession
of passionate, melodic arias, recorded by idolized tenors
and divas. These may be played in any order or juxta-
position, without ever placing them in the context of an
organic scene, much less a whole production.

Some of the group — perhaps more of those who are
the reserved transients — may go on to know serious music
under more musical circumstances. Why they wait here at
all may only be surmised. Perhaps it is to enjoy a com-
munity, however fleeting, of those their own age who
are unembarrassed by such preferences. The location of
the juke-box, in the midst of cheapjack carnival, may
lend respectability to their tastes. One is hardly likely
to be accused of being "highbrow" in a pinball arcade.

The others, responding as they would to the passing
favorites of popular entertainment, seem unaware that this
music may be different. They seem unconcerned about
questions of whether their tastes are being elevated, or
whether it is rather that good music is being vulgarized,
here where the matter of popularized culture appears in
most grotesque simplicity.

The mechanism of the juke-box hums and moves, re-
sponding to the coins. The voice of Jan Peerce rises from
its electronic throat, singing the perennial Vesti la giubba,
from J Pagliacci. The group stirs. Some of the young men
are visibly moved. One starts to sneer at Peerce; for him,
Mario Lanza is "the boss." The others shush him into
silence. They listen reverently, their eyes on the floor,
or somewhere out beyond the walls of this odd temple
underground. Some of the last part of the record is almost
inaudible, as a group of sailors boisterously begin working
one of the nearby simulated anti-aircraft ranges, shooting
down the painted targets with photoelectric beams, amid
an artificial cacophony of battle.

PHfW«MBU« BV TUP AlfTMOR

Addicts listen at the dime-shrine to music beneath Times Square.
58

Highbrow hipster in the foreground is being "sent" by operatic aria.

High Fidelity Magazine

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\,y ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN

E ARE GETTING a new type of information on our
record sleeves these days, and some of it is a little be-
wildering to us who remember the hand-cranked horn.
Nobody gave credit to the sound engineers when Frances
Alda made her disks of the lullaby from Erminie; nobody
then exhorted us to write in for frequency-test records,
gave us the specifications and pedigree of the equipment
used in the studio, or adorned a label with lines like
"Playback characteristics: Turnover frequency 629 cps.,
16 db. down at 10 kc." All this is significant of a new
and greatly matured era for the record industry, and the
recorded repertoire has left the lullaby from Erminie far
behind. However, a distressing amount of the annotation
provided with contemporary records is still in the age of
the fiber needle.

Well-established standards exist for the technique of
recording, and today there is no corner of the world's
musical literature, however obscure, which is not being
explored for the disk-companies by skilled interpretative
specialists, but the annotations which come with today's
records present a picture of the wildest confusion. Only
a few, relatively small firms, like the Haydn Society, seem
to have any concept of a uniform editorial standard com-
parable to those demanded of technicians and interpre-
ters; one and the same company will give us, in successive
weeks, annotations written by a professor of musicology
and by the nearest office boy. The record itself is, by
universal agreement, the province of experts, but the
record jacket belongs to the gambling soothsayers of
promotion departments.

In the old days of the 78 rpm album set, annotations
came in the form of pamphlets which were flexible in their
limits and frequently extended to many pages. The intro-
duction of the long-playing record killed the pamphlet
and reduced annotation to the comparatively small amount
of copy that could be crowded onto the back of the sleeve
where, to make matters worse, it was often forced to com-
pete with advertising matter for the available space. The
pamphlet is now coming back, if slowly, but an increase
in space allotment does not necessarily bring with it an
increase of usefulness so far as this literature is concerned.

Lack of editorial standards in this department can
generally be traced to a single cause: many people who
are in the business of making and selling records do not
listen to them or at least do not listen to them in the
same way as their customers. Consequently a simple
fact of crucial importance is overlooked by the gentlemen
in the front offices — anybody who buys a phonograph

October, 1954

record intends to hear it more than once. In fact, he in-
tends to hear it quite often, and he usually does, for
music is an art, and one of the first and most important
characteristics of a work of art is that it does not yield up
its entire content on one exposure, but invites and de-
mands repeated experience. Consequently the commentary
that goes with a record should be one that accompanies
and assists a long-term growth in understanding. Sym-
phony orchestras appreciate this quite well and their an-
notations are written accordingly. Yet a symphony con-
cert is an ephemeral thing, while a phonograph record is.
a permanent investment.

An extraordinarily large number of record annotations,
are directed to the mythical man in the street. One gathers
that those who write them (or dictate their style and
content) believe that record-buyers constitute a single
class or type; actually, the market for Gesualdo, Schiitz,
or Schonberg is entirely different from the market for
Tchaikovsky or Johann Strauss and should not be ad-
dressed in the same way. There are even decided differences
in the market for the music of one composer; those who
will buy a complete St. John Passion do not commonly
buy orchestrated versions of the Toccata and Fugue in
D Minor.

That record annotations should be written by people
familiar with the work in hand, with the history of music,
and with the place of the individual work in its historic
context is, of course, elementary, but even this respon-
sibility is often evaded. A quick run-through of the
Grove article on the composer will scarcely do, but many
a record annotation is not even that well prepared. In
addition to his knowledge of the work, the annotator ought
to have some knowledge of English grammar; the illiter-
acy of much record annotation is almost beyond belief.

If I am buying, say, a record of The Ruins of Athens^
I do not need an elementary sketch of Beethoven's life.
I have been introduced to the composer and know some-
thing about him, or I should not be spending money on
one of his more remote and unfamiliar works. I do need,
however, to know when Beethoven wrote The Ruins of
Athens, where it fits in relation to his other compositions,,
and what circumstances induced him to undertake this-
particular score. I need to know what the play is all about
and the dramatic significance of each of Beethoven's-
movements. I need to know if the theatrical context im-
posed special conditions on the substance, form, or in-
strumentation of the music. I should also deeply appreci-
ate knowing if the whole work is on Continued on page 11 j

www.americanradiohistorv.com

March 1 6, 1 89-
St. Petersburg

It is with eagerness and emotion that I take up my quill,
the very same, my dear Nadia, that was so recently and
profitably employed in entrusting to paper our Seventh
Symphony. The difficulties of which I spoke have been re-
solved. The solo for tuba intended, you will remember, to
convey unmitigated remorse in the slow movement I have
removed. In its place I have substituted an exquisite
aria for tenor trombone. The effect, dear Nadia Floretovna,
is magical. You will be amazed, and, I do so fervently wish,
pleased. Also, a perfectly delicious valsetta, which I
have since interpolated in the dance movement, occurred
to me while having a bothersome bicuspid extracted at the
dentist (a perfectly odious man with a red beard and bad
breath) and proves to be not one whit extraneous in con-
text. I had thought originally of exposition in the wood-
winds but with that insufferable person's knee in my
chest and his thumb in my mouth I found this line of
reasoning unpalatable. The strings, of course, would re-
veal much too quickly the intrinsic beauty of the theme,
I reflected as I slid to the floor, that determined brute
firmly entrenched at my throat. Certainly horns would
demean that subject, I concluded, while that fiend, with
the happy concentration of a leech, drew blood from me.
Harp, I yelled in torment, making a mad dash for the door,
but no, I decided as I was dragged back to the chair. My
dear Nadia, forgive me if I do not spare you the details of
my terrible ordeal. Trials such as I have endured are in
themselves unimportant, but if they can shed some light
on the creative process, perhaps then they have an important
contribution to make to the generations of composers to
come. Certainly the fact that this maniac chased me round
and round his chair (and I do so abhor exercise) cannot
be counted as memorable; the fact that this monster, in
pursuit of my shirttail and I, in pursuit of my scattered
wits, should be engaged in a degrading ring-around-the-
maypole cannot be of interest to any but the most jaded
listener; but the decision to use celesta and snare drum
coming to me as I crouched in the closet waiting for my
torturer to force the door, this is significant. Do you
follow, dear friend? Order out of chaos, pattern out of
panic, composition, what shall I say, rising out of decom-
position. But perhaps I labor the point. Suffice to say I
survived the affair with mind and melody intact, albeit
losing much blood and a few buttons. I am not a courageous
man, dear lady, but when this monster asked me to sanction

ANTHONY F. FAZIO, a long-time discophile who
reveres music's Great Departed as much as anyone,
was inspired to write this Letter From A Composer Who
Shall Be Nameless after having read one discography-
prologue and a dozen record-jackec notes too many.

his brutality with payment I flatly refused. He called me
horrid things; growing quite ugly, in fact. He called my
Pathetique (I should never have guessed he was a man of
culture) a noisome mess, fit only to feed sparrows . . ..
Forgive my unpardonable license, dear lady, for the
moment I thought that I addressed myself to Anatol,
who is always so understanding in these crises. The shock
of my harrowing experience must excuse my indelicacy.
I should tear up this document as unworthy of your
perusal and my more inspired moments were it not for
the fact that I need . . .. But enough, how are you, my
dear Nadia Floretovna? You spoke of a cold in the head.
I know that you have since recovered and will regard, with
indulgence, my gentle admonition that you not neglect
your health. I cannot conceive of a happy, successful
life that does not number you among those who so pa-
tiently, foolishly, if I may be so bold, believe in me. It
grieves me to tell you that I have not dedicated my seventh,
our symphony, to you as originally intended. I have run
up a considerable bill at the fruiterer's (I have a passionate
fondness for grapes) and the fruiterer has agreed to cancel
the bill if I dedicate the work to him. You see how Art
must bend its knee to petty economy. How Mozart must
have suffered! But there! I have mentioned the dedica-
tion and neglected to give you my abysmal news. It ap-
pears that after my having refused to pay the dentist his
fee, the filthy scoundrel sued for payment and damages
amounting to a sum considerably in excess of what I
should have imagined. Since I am naturally squeamish in
matters of this nature, Anatol learned from the solicitor the
extent of these damages. At the risk of boring and offend-
ing you, I append them below. One carpet, scuffed it
seems by the chase, one pair of dress boots crushed under-
foot I am told as I waited in the closet, one lacerated
forefinger attributed to the accused's unnatural truculence,
two clients who fled the outer office at the accused's un-
commonly loud and persistent slander, at a considerable
loss to claimant's reputation and income. Legal phraseol-
ogy can be so tragically naive, can it not? Of course, my
temperament, being what it is, would not permit my
meeting these absurd charges with counter-accusations.
The authorities found for the wretched dentist. Even now
as I write, they are carrying the piano out of the house.
But enough of my troubles. Have I told you that I have
been invited to a soiree on Thursday? Brahms will be
there, I am told, and while I detest the man's art I find him
a pleasant enough old boor to converse with. But I am
afraid I must decline, for I have not one kopek to get my
shirts back from the washerwoman. I must put an end to
my list of misfortunes, for I see even now that they are
coming to take the writing desk. I must be quick. Au
revoir. I await with eagerness your next mail. Until
then I remain —

As ever,

In your great debt

High Fidelity Magazine

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RECORDS.

Records in fieruqfr*

Reviewed by paul affelder • c c. burke • john m. conly

RAY ERICSON • ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN • JAMES HINTON, JR.
ROY H. HOOPES, JR. • J. F. INDCOX • ROBERT KOTLOWITZ
SALLY MCCASLIN • DAVID RANDOLPH • JOHN S. WILSON

Classical Music, Listed by Composer 61

Building Your Record Library 67

The Spoken Word 72

Collections and Miscellany 73

Dialing Your Disks 80

The Best of Jazz 84

Children's Records 87

Tchaikovsky on Microgroove 89

CLASSICAL

BACH, Johann Christian

Symphony in E, Op. g, No. 2; Symphony

in D, Op. 18, No. 4
t Haydn: Concerto for Harpsichord, in D,

Op. 21

Lamoureux Chamber Orchestra, Paris, Pierre
Colombo, cond. (with Isabelle Nef, harpsi-
chord).

L'Oiseau-Lyre ol 50007. 12-in. 15, 12,
19 min. $5.95-

The two Symphonies by the London Bach,
youngest son of Johann Sebastian, are es-
pecially persuasive examples of this sun*
Glled composer's predilection for music
without pain, effervescent and supercilious.
This was the man whom Mozart imitated
first, and the Symphonies are generously en-
dowed with devices which by prolepsis
we ascribe to Mozart. The severity of baro-
que gives place to a courtly protocol of
frivolity, in which grace, order, symmetry,
clarity and movement take precedence over
anything else. — The Symphonies are ir-
resistible, and the Concerto too, but every-
one knows that music. The record offers
lively but not unconsidered performances
of all three, with some imperfection of disci-
pline in the orchestra and the solo harpsi-
chord small-toned albeit brilliant. The
sound is clear and commendable alrhough
not glossy. C. G. B.

BACH

Can fata No. 70; Wachet, Betet {Watch Ye,
Pray Ye!)

Anny Felbermayer (s); Hugo Meyer Welfing
(t); Erike Wien (a); Norman Foster (b);
Kurt Rapf, cembalo; Choir of the Bach
Guild, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Felix
Prohaska, cond.

Bach Guild bg 524. i2-in. $5.95.
Vanguard has made a valuable addition to

its growing list of "Bach Guild" recordings
of the cantatas. The work is a thoroughly
beautiful one from beginning to end. (This
reviewer once remarked on these pages, at
the risk of being thought a heretic, that
many Bach cantatas seem to him to be
ground out according to formula — a very
competent formula, to be sure, but a formu-
la nevertheless. Here, however, we have a
work thar, in its lyricism, its excitement, and
its drama, sounds new and vital from be-
ginning to end.)

The performance is a fine, discerning one,
and the recording matches it. If rhe bass
soloist causes a few moments of concern by
the unevenness of his vocalism in his recita-
tives, he more than redeems himself by the
ravishing tone quality with which he in-
vests his big aria. D. R.

BACH

Concertos for Harpsichord and Orchestra;
No. 1, in D Minor; No. 4, in A Major;
No. 5, in F Minor

Finn Vidertf, harpsichord. The Orchestra of
the Collegium Musicum, Copenhagen,
Lavard Friisholm, cond.
Haydn Society HSL-92. 12-in. $5.95.

This is a thoroughly musicianly affair. Per-
formances and recording are both fine.
The famous D Minor Concerto is recorded
here with greater "crispness" of tone, and
closer to the microphone than is the Decca
version with Lukas Foss. Decca 's, on the
other hand, because of its greater sonic
spaciousness, gives an overall gentle sheen
to the music. More imporrant to shoppers
will be the fact thar Decca uses a piano as
the solo instrument, while a harpsichord is
employed by the Haydn Society.

Side two of this Haydn Society disk, con-
taining as it does both the Concerto No. 4
in A Major and the Concerto No. _5 in F Minor,
invites comparison with Vox's PL 7260, one
side of which contains the identical works.
In their recorded sound, the two disks are

remarkably similar, for both the orchestra
and the solo harpsichord. This listener
would be inclined to pick the Vox record,
if only because the harpsichordist, Helma
Eisner, takes the beautiful second move-
ment of the F Minor Concerto at a slower
tempo than Vidertf, who seems to rush it
slightly. (The movement is, of course, the
famous "Arioso," which Bach also used in
his cantata "Ich steh' mit einem Fuss in Grabe.")
But that's purely a matter of individual
taste. This Haydn Society disk is highly
recommended. D. R.

BACH

Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins and
Orchestra

Herman Krebbers, Theo Olof, violins.
Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, Willem van
Otterloo, cond.

fBeethoven: Romance No. 1, in G Major,
Op. 40

Romance No. 2, in F Major, Op. 50

Theo Olof, violin (in Romance No. 1);
Herman Krebbers, violin (in Romance
No. 2); Hague Philharmonic Orchestra,
Willem van Otterloo, cond.
Epic LC 3o36. 12-in. i8'/i, 17!^ min. $5.95.

Clever idea of Epic's — to have each soloist
play one of the Beethoven Romances, and
then both combine forces on the other side
of the disk, in the Bach "Double Concerto."

The performances are very competent,
but are in no way outstanding. Recording
is spacious. D. R.

BACH

Trio Sonata in G Major for Flute, Violin
and Harpsichord; Sonata in E Minor for
Flute and Harpsichord; Sonata in G
Major for Violin and Harpsichord; Trio
in D Minor for Flute, Oboe and Harpsi-
chord

Kurt Redel, flute; Ulrich Grehling, violin;
Helmuth Winschermann, oboe; Martin

October, 1954

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Mage/a Laszlo. Bartok's immensely difficult
art-songs are given sensitive performance.

Bochmann, cello; lrmgard Lech tier, harpsi-
chord. The Collegium Pro Arte (Recorded
in Paris).

L'Oisp.au-Lyre 5001 5- 1 2-in. 44'/. min. S5.95.

An overall sense of sweetness pervades this
entire disk. The performances are nicely
proportioned ; the recording is well-balanced,
and of the requisite degree of fidelity. D. R.

BARTOK

Concerto for Orchestra

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal
Dorati, cond.

Mercury mg 50033. 12-in. 40 min. $5.95.

One of the finest of the several LP recordings
of this brilliant, jovial work, and the only
one directed by a pupil of the composer.
This is one of Bartok s wittiest, most color-
ful, and most approachable compositions,
and Dorati's attitude toward it is thoroughly
authoritative. Fine, close-up, "Olympian"
sound. A. F.

BARTOK

Five Songs, Opus 16

Hungarian Folk Songs

Magda Laszlo, soprano; Franz Holetschek,
piano.

Westminster wl 5283. 12-in. $5.95.

Bartok was, of course, the world's foremost
authority on Hungarian folk song, and he
made innumerable concert arrangements
of things he had himself collected. Perhaps
for this reason, he wrote very few original
songs; the Opus 16 group is, in fact, his
only mature production in this field. Miss
Laszlo's anthology presents folk-song ar-
rangements of various periods — early ones
with simple accompaniments and later ones
with rather knotty, dramatic, and dissonant
accompaniments which serve magnificently
to underline the rugged character of trte
melodies. The style of Opus 16 owes rela-
tively little to folk sources. The vocal line
is subtly declamatory and enormously
difficult, and the piano parts demand a
major virtuoso; in fact, some of these ac-
companiments could, with little change, be
used as solo pieces. The performances are
extremely moving and sensitive, and the

recording is first rate. Texts, in Hungarian
and English, are provided. A. F.

BARTOK

For Children, Vol. I

Tibor Kozma, piano.

Bartok br 919. 12-in. 40 min. $6.45.

Forty extremely simple, extremely short
piano pieces, all based on folk tunes. They
are intended for teaching purposes and not
as concert material, but Kozma's splendid
performance, beautifully recorded, raises
them to the concert level. A. F.

BEETHOVEN

Concerto for Piano, in D, after the Violin
Concerto, Op. 6t

Helen Schnabel; Vienna Orchestra, F.

Charles Adler, cond.

SPA 45. 12-in. 42 min. $5.95.

Concert Hall has a record of this for sub-
scribers only, and it is odd that in the search
for recondite Beethoven — all the gran-
deurs of first, second and third magnitude
having been recorded — the secondary form
of the Violin Concerto should have been
passed over for general circulation. There
are two versions of the Ninth Sonata in
Beethoven's arrangement as a quartet, and
two of the Clarinet Trio, Op. 1 1, in which a
violin is used for the clarinet. The Concerto
in the alternative form has decidedly more
interest than those.

The transcription is the composer s own,
and the orchestration is unchanged. The
original publication actually preceded that
of the Concerto for Violin, and Beethoven
himself played it in public. It is possible to
prefer either setting, for we realize at once,
with some surprise, that the Violin Concerto
is not exclusively violin music. In the violin
form the music is profounder, in the piano
form a lighter piece; the passagework par-
ticularly, when applied to the piano, be-
coming gayer with the tripping separation
of the notes. In the larghetto the transfer-
ence may be thought less successful. Es-
pecial note ought to be taken of the superb
cadenza in the first movement, a cadenza
composed with kettledrum accompaniment,
one of the most brilliant and most appropri-
ate of these interludes so seldom appropriate
or necessary.

The piano-playing on this record is sen-
sitive and telling. The piano-sound is out-
standing in the unfussy way characteristic
of the piano recordings of this small com-
pany. (It does not seem to be a contrived
sound, but rather one that happens.) The
conducting has an interest out of the or-
dinary, with small impetuous rushes in the
first movement, an impatience for lyricism,
and a show of instrumentation rare in this
Concerto. The rondo is exciting in its nice
delineation of line and tone: there are
episodes here in startling clarity which
generally are hinted. The orchestral play-
ing is responsive without polish, but as a
whole it is not improbable that this piano
performance of the Violin Concerto will
gratify music-lovers who already know the
Violin Concerto for violin. C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Quartets No. 1, in /*, and So. 2, in G,
Op. 18, Sos. 1 and 2

Barylli Quartet.

Westminster wl 5203. 12-in. 28, 24 min.
55-95-

These cordial, loose-knit performances, in
a recording that would be first-rate without
the added high-frequency hoist that hurts
the violins — particularly Mr. Barylli, who
is too prominent anyway — complete the
Westminster series of Beethoven Quartets,
a series of unequal value played by the
Baryllis and the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet
memorable for the glory of Quartet No. 8
(wl 5098). — There are better records of
these first two, including that of the Vegh
Quartet reviewed also in this issue. C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Quartets. All: No. 1, in F, Op. 18, So. 1;
No. 2, in G, Op. 18, No. 2; No. 3, in D,
Op. 18, No. y No. 4, in C Minor, Op. 18,
No. 47 No. 5, in A, Op. 18, No. 5; No. 6,
in B Flat, Op. 18, No. 6; No. 7, in F,
Oh. 59, No. 1; No. 8, in E Minor, Op.
59, No. 2; No. 9, in C, Op. 59, No. 3;
No. 10, in E Flat, Op. 74; No. 11, in
F Minor, Op. 95; No. 12, in E Flat,
Op. 127; No. 13, in B Flat, Op. 130; So.
14, in C Sharp Minor, Op. 131; No. 1%
in A Minor, Op. 132; No. 16, in F,
Op. 135; Great Fugue, Op. 133

Vegh Quartet.

Haydn Society hsq-n, hsq-o & hsq-p.

Ten 12-in. in three albums: Op. 18 in hsq-n;
Opp. 59 through 95 in HSQ-o; rest in hsq-p.

27, 23, 22, 22, 27, 24, 36, 34, 3l, 3l, 20,

37, 42, 38, 41, 24, 17 min. $61.45 for all;
$18.50 for hsq-n, $18.50 for hsq-o, $24.45
for hsq-p. Disks available separately, at
$5.95 each, in this distribution of the Quar-
tets: Nos. 1 & 2 on hsq-43; 3 & 4 on 44;
5 & 6 on 45; 7 on 41; 8 & 1 1 on 42; 9 & 10
on 40; 12 & 16 on 46; i3 on 47; 14 & gf
on 48; 15 on 49.

The quartet led by Sandor Vegh is the third
to offer a complete edition of the Beethoven
Quartets on LP. Late in 1952 Columbia pre-
sented three albums containing the work of
the Budapest Quartet, and the Concert Hall
edition of the Pascal performances was is-
sued over a period of several years. Further-
more, Westminster has just completed an
integral collection in which two quartets,
Vienna Konzerthaus and Barylli, divided
responsibility for the playing. The Paganini
Quartet have made 1 o of the works for RCA
Victor. From other sources there are 12
scattered records devoted to some of this
music. Thus there are now 90 recordings of
the 17 works.

Arriving late in lists already contested by
musical chivalry of great valor and repute,
the Veghs had naturally to supplement their
bows by strategy. This was contrived by
the Haydn Society in the editing, in the
distribution of the music upon the disks.
Everyone knows that LP, thanks to ingeni-
ous engineering, has been becoming L'er P.
At its inception the microgroove boasted of
"up to 20 minutes per side," and if this
limit had been established for the Beetho-
ven Quartets, or indeed if the example in-
troduced in the transfer of the first Quartet
to LP had been followed, a complete edition
would require no fewer than 32 sides. But
multiplication of vinyl invariably produces a
subtraction of clientele; and Concert Hall,
summoning prudence, put the 17 Quartets
upon 2 5 sides without much damage to

High Fidelity Magazine

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RECORDS

numerical ordination. Columbia, with a
better consecution, managed with 24 sides
for Budapest. The Haydn Society, dis.
turbing sequence only once to permit an
economical coupling, has fitted her edition
to 20 sides. That is the factor favoring pur-
chase of the entire collection, or of Volume
"O" or "P," each of which takes two fewer
sides than the principal competing versions.
Accurate and informarive notes, sober but
not dull, written by Mr. Klaus George Roy,
are another point in favor of this edition,
but since they are furnished with each album,
their argument is not necessarily on the
side of purchase of all.

It seems never to have happened that one
musician or group of musicians has re-
corded an entire extensive series of related
works to better advantage, in every element
forming part of the series, than the eclectic
results obtained by all the other musicians
who have essayed all or part of the same
series. There is a best edition of the six
Brandenburg Concertos considered as a
whole, but the six elements in this best do
not individually surpass all the correspond-
ing rival records. And even when one
edition wins more favor for more elements
than another edition wins, the latter may
not be called poorer until other factors are
measured, if they are measurable. The
margin of difference, plus or minus, is obvi-
ously very important, and fluctuations in
the value of this factor can produce condi-
tions under which judgment is worthless.
Imagine Edition "A" of the four symphonies
of Brahms, of which three are incontestably
superb and the other is horrible; and com-
pare "A" with "B" containing four steady,
honorable elements, none superb, none
poor. Which is the better edition?

The Complete Edition is convenient, or.
derly, interesting and inevitable. Experi-
ence shows that it is always also somewhere
fallible.

The Vegh Quartet are good musicians —
derelicts do not attempt the Beethoven
Quartets. And the quality of sound accorded
to them in these records is generally good,
in a number of examples excellent, in a few
places faulted. The Veghs have a tonal
weakness: they weave a broad, rich and
moving fabric in the slow movements, but
in many of the quicker sections the threads
of the tapestry separate to its disadvantage,
the violins becoming attenuated and our
attention in self-defense fixed on the deeper
instruments. Alas, this often hurtful tone
results from a punctilio that will slur noth-
ing, in itself a virtue. Where suavity is
maintained with the punctilio, as in the
finale of Quartet No. 2 and in most of the
quick sections of No, 14, the results are
admirable.

The Veghs have a noticeable tendency to
play faster than kindred groups except in
opp. 127 et seq. Their best work is cer-
tainly in the culminating five giants (not in
the Great Fugue), their very best in No. 14.
the greatest Quartet of all, where they are
bettered only by the magnificent Budapest
record.

The opinion here is that the leadership
in the Beethoven Quarrets as forwarded in a
Beethoven Discography printed in this
magazine last year is not qualified by these
records. Secondary positions are in doubt
here and there.

Finitude of space requires that the indi-
vidual Quartets be noted laconically. Here

October, 1954

are the impressions they have made:
No. 1 — Both even and crisp, unsurprising
but excellent; efficient sound.
No. 2 — Immaculate fresco objectively
painted, and the recording is very good. A
desirable record, the best of those contain-
ing two Quartets.

No. 3 — Decent and orderly, as if in deter-
mination to do nothing special. Clear,
balanced and agreeable reproduction.
No. 4 — Above all neat, similar in the main
to No. 3, with the same engaging modesty.
No. 5 — Punctilious but seems fatigued.
Weakness of viola and cello may be the
way of the players, since the recording as
such seems satisfactory.
No. 6 — Delicate but detached playing,
with reticence in the deeper strings, and
tempos a little puzzling. Good sound, if
the shallowness is attributed to the playing
of viola and cello. Not a bad record, and
not very good.

No. 7 — Fast. A performance of exactitude
in the notes as printed and of indifference
to the moods implied. Very commendable
sound.

No. 8 — A fast performance oblivious to
the deep romanticism of the music. Rigid
where it should be yielding, but easy sound,
crisp and accurate.

No. 9 — One of the most knowing and skill-
ful of these performances, distressed by
wiry reproduction.

No. jo — More wire, but less acute than in
No. 9, and can be largely corrected by some
compensators.

No, 11 — Good in phrase and accent, drab
tone not the fault of the honest sonics.
No. 12 — Rather consistently underplayed
but not unconvincing. Hurt by faint cello
and hard tone.

No. 23 — Entirely commendable — perform-
ance of sympathetic understanding under
judicious control, and persuasive repro-
duction.

No. 14 — Remarkably good in all respects
including the quality of tone. Slow in
general, with some piquant alterations of
tempo, introspective but confident. Ex-
cellent sound, notably impressive in pianos.
A record of high class, comparable to the
fine Paganini disk of this for Victor.
No. 25 — Would have been a marvel, in
this sensitive phrasing and recording, if a
violin had been less ungainly.
No. 16 — Excellent slow movement, rest
eclipsed by the flashing of chromium-
plated violins.

Great Fugue — Not Dionysius but Dion
Cassius presides at this revel, whose tone
is acrid. C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Romance No. 1, in G Major, Op. 40; No. 2
in F Major, Op. 50 — See Bach.

BEETHOVEN

Sonatas /or Piano: No, 1% in O, "Pas-
toral," Op. 28; No. 21, in C "W aid-
Stem," Op. 53,' No. 2% in G, Op. 79;
Xo. 26, in E Flat, "Farewell, Absence
and Return," Op. 81a.

Orazio Frugoni.

Vox PL 8650. 12-in. 16, 19, 6, 1 3 min.
S5-95-

Performances of all four dandified and dubi-
ous, without point or pith in phrase and
accent, curios of perverted consistency,
coollv bared by a crisp, vivid recording.

C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Sonatas /or Piano and Violin: So. 5, in
F, "Spring," Op. 24; No. 6, in A, Op. 30,
No. 1

Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Joseph Szigeti.
Columbia ml 4870. 12-in. 26, 24 min.
$5-95-

Admirable reproduction in these, crystalline,
living, substantial. Admirable musicianship
from both players, and a nice coalescence of
spirit; and an exalted delicacy of tenuous
line from the most sensitive of fiddlers, Mr.
Szigeti who does not know how to be com-
monplace. Still, he does remind us that to
play a violin one scratches a string taut
over a box; and it is justifiable for us to
shrink from reiterated reminders. C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Sonata /or Piano and Violin, No. 5, in F,

"Spring," Op. 24
fProkofieff: Sonata /or Violin and Piano,

No. 1, in F Minor, Op. 80

Lev Oborin, David Oistrakh.

Colosseum 152. 12-in. 22, 28 min. $5.95.

In the "Spring" Sonata the piano is furry
and has no substance. The same perform-
ance, in better sound, may be found on
Period 573. With the Beethoven as contrast,
the Prokofieff can sound impressive, but
without the foil it does not sound very good.
The bewildering eloquence of variegated
noises produced by Mr. Oistrakh in the
latter Sonata is in more plausible sonance
on Vanguard 6019. C. G, B.

BEETHOVEN

Sonata /or Piano and Violin, No. g, in A,

"Kreutzer," Op. 47
fLeclair: Sonata /or Violin and Keyboard,

in O, Op. g, No. 3
fYsaye: Sonata /or Violin alone, in E,

Op. 27, No. 3

David Oistrakh the violinist in all; Lev
Oborin (Beethoven) and Vladimir Yam-
polsky, pianists.

Vanguard 6024. 12-in. 33, 10, 6 min.

Sonata /or Piano and Violin, No. g, in A,

"Kreutzer," Op. 47
fLeclair: Sonata/or Violin and Keyboard,

in O, Op. 9, No. 3
fVIadigeroff: Fantasy on" Khora," Op. 18

David Oistrakh the violinist in all; Lev

The Vegh Quartet. Any "complete edition,"
experience shows, is somewhere /allible.

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RECORDS

Oborin (Beethoven) and Vladimir Yam-
polsky, pianists.

Colosseum 153. 12-in. 33, 10, 8 min. $5.95.

The great Soviet violinist, thoroughly
communized, invariably acquits himself
brilliantly on records, and his records are
invariably below the sonic standards that
the Western world expects from Western
companies. The present pair of disks main-
tain the conflict: dazzling play versus medi-
ocre-to-poor reproduction. Piano bass is
paltry on both disks, and the Colosseum
sound except in the Vladigerof is generally
lifeless for both instruments. Vanguard
errs contrarily, with the violin over-brilliant
and hard to adjust. It is, however, by far
the better record, and the irresistible Le-
clair Sonata in a superb exposition by the
players is satisfactory in the sound ac-
corded. C. G. B.

BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 3, in E Flat, "Eroica,"
Op. 55

Orchestra of the Stadium Concerts, New
York, Leonard Bernstein, cond.
Decca dl 9697. 12-in. 50 min. $5.85.

After a curiously weak presentation of the
virile first subject in the exposition of the
first allegro, Mr. Bernstein takes a firmer
grip and leads the slightly disguised New
York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra
through a valiant, arousing performance of
the"Eroica" — a performance without whim
or eccentricity, but strong, convinced and
convincing, high in the long list of record-
ings of this Symphony. The forceful or-
chestral sonance imprinted by the engineers
supports vehemently the epic impression of
the interpretation, for this is a recording
heard as the conductor would, with the
winds in dramatic prominence, the bass
close and the drums always palpable. This
makes a re-creation of the "Eroica" as it
must have sounded in its first stunning ap-
parition, in a hall of moderate size where
everything was palpable. C. G. B.

BENEVOLI, ORAZIO
Festmesse fur 53 Stimmen; St. Ruperts
Hymnus

Franz Sauer, organ. Vienna Symphony Or-
chestra with the Salzburger Domchoir and
soloists, Joseph Messner, cond.
Epic LC 3o35- 12-in. 49, 7 min. $5.95.

It should be explained at the outset that the
"53 Stimmen," or "53 Voices," in the title
does not mean 53 vocal parts. Rather, the
figure refers to the total number of parts
— both vocal and instrumental — in the
entire score. Of that total, 16 are vocal
parts, and are distributed among the two
eight-part choruses and four "solo" quartets
(16 solo singers).

This work was commissioned by the Arch-
bishop, Count Lodron, for the Consecration
of the Salzburg Cathedral in 1628. The
composer is said to have written his music
in a score which was 2 feet, 9 inches long
and 1 foot, 10 inches wide! Certainly, the
occasion must have been a festive one!
However, as Klaus George Roy points out
in his excellent jacket notes, "Perhaps the
fact that the work made comparatively so
tittle stir in the Salzburg of the early 17th
century is indication that there was nothing
freakish about it at all; had it been that, it

would have been afforded much greater
attention. What Benevoli here accomplished
was merely another example in the style of
the so-called 'colossal baroque' then in
vogue, as a direct challenge to the past."

It must be admitted that, despite the ex-
cellence of the recording, no phonograph is
yet able to convey the antiphonal effects
that this score must call for. Indeed, until
we have some mythical "super-stereophonic
three-dimensional binaural phonograph,"
works of this nature will defy truly adequate
representation on disks. And, when such a
phonograph is invented, an ingenuity
greater than that of the audio-engineers will
have to re-design our ears and brains, to
follow such an intricate web of sound.

The above is not to be taken as a criticism
of those responsible for the making of this
recording. The work is a very valuable con-
tribution to recorded choral literature. More-
over, it makes very pleasant and at times
thrilling listening.

Surprisingly, as the number of voices used
increases, the effect is not to emphasize the
contrapuntal texture of the music, but
rather to give it an overall homophonic
feeling! Thus, the work is essentially
"harmcnically conceived."

The performance, a tremendous under-
taking, is a devoted one, and is completely
idiomatic. D. R.

Leonard Bernstein; an "Eroica" may start
slow and still end as "arousing, valiant."

BRAHMS

Songs in Folk Style

tDvorak: Zigeunermelodien (Gypsy Songs)
Op. 55

Anny Felbermayer, soprano; Victor Graef,
piano.

Vanguard vrs 446. 12-in. $5.95.

Anny Felbermayer is an artist who always
pleases with the purity and beauty of her
soprano voice and the simplicity of her in-
terpretations. Apart from this, she manages
to convey the meaning and spirit of the
lovely songs on this disk. True, one might
ask for a bit more fire in some of the Dvorak
Gypsy Songs — sung in a German translation,
rather than the original Czech — but the
general feeling on hearing her performances
is one of relaxed delight. Even more fetch-

ing is her traversal of the simple Brahm.s
songs. One's only possible regret is that
she chose a group of 10 miscellaneous songs
instead of beginning a systematic collection
of the complete Volkslieder. However, let
us be thankful for what we are given. In-
cluded are: Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4;
Die Sonne scheint nicht mebr; Da unten im
Thale; Feinsliebcben, du sollst mir nicht bar-
fuss geh'n; Schwesterlein; Vergebliches Stand-
chen. Op. 84, No. 4; Sandmannchen; Madchen-
lied, Op. 85, No. 3; Dorr in den Weiden.
Op. 97, No. 4, and In stiller Nacht. Victor
Graef's accompaniments are finely poised,
and the reproduction is all that one could
ask. Complete German and English texts
are provided. P. A.

CASELLA
Italia, Op. 11

Serenade for Small Orchestra

Symphony Orchestra of Radio Berlin; Rolf
Kleinert, cond., in Italia; Symphony Orches-
tra of Radio Leipzig; Herbert Kegel, cond.,
in the Serenade.

Urania urlp 71 18. 12-in. $5.95.

When Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) was con-
ductor of the Boston "Pops" Orchestra,
long ago, his rhapsody Italia may have
been a popular favorite. Today, this work
which makes use of several popular tunes —
including FunicuD, Funiculi — seems a little
long on notes and short on inspiration.
Besides, its performance here is somewhat
slipshod. The neoclassical Serenade has mote
bite, spirit and humor and is presented in
sparkling fashion. Recording throughout
is spacious. P. A

CHABRIER

Impromptu; Aubade; Bat labile; Caprice;
Feuillet d* Album; Ronde Champetre;
Bourree Fantasque.

tSaint-Saens: Etude en Forme de Valse,
Op. 52, No. 6; Toccata, Op. 72, No, 3;
Thime Varie, Op. 97; Allegro Appas-
sionato, Op. 70; Toccata, Op. lit, No. 6.

Ginette Doyen, piano.

Westminster wl 5294. 12-in. 29, 26 min.

*5 95

In one of the most delightful piano record-
ings to come along in some time, Miss
Doyen presents some nineteenth-century
works that have little currency. Chabrier,
enormously gifted but not too well trained
as a composer, produced a relatively small
number of works, which at their best have a
spontaneity, ebullience and wit that still
seem fresh. The pieces in this generous
sampling (written around 1873 to 1890) are
first-grade Chabrier, smacking of salon mu-
sic in their surface charm, but full of unex-
pected graces in the turn of a phrase, the
clash of cross rhythms, and an old harmony.

Paradoxically, Chabrier' s music is com-
pletely integrated — there are no super-
ficial notes — whereas Saint-Saens, a prolific
academician, wrote glittering virtuoso pieces
— at least as represented here. Old-fash-
ioned in style, with more frills than founda-
tion, these post-Lisztian items have their
own brand of gaiety and are thoroughly en-
tertaining — as they were meant to be. Ade-
quately played, for example, the Op. 1 1 1
Toccata will set any audience on its ears.

Continued on page 66

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Myth into Musical Hero . . .

The Beethoven-Goethe- Westminster "Egmont'"

" iction eclipses history, Herodotus Thucy-
dides, Plutarch Mommsen, Parson Weems
Henry Adams. Legend has more allure, and
more vitality, than truth. It is easier to be-
lieve.

On the night of the eighteenth of April,
I775i William Dawes, a revolutionary tanner,
tode from Boston to Lexington to warn
that British troops were marching to seize
revolutionary arms. At Lexington he kept
rendezvous with two other horsemen on
the same gallant errand. The three galloped
toward Concord and two reached it, Dawes
and Samuel Prescott. The third was cap-
tured before he could complete his mission.
His name was Paul Revere, and we have
heard of him because a talented versifier
who loved comfort perceived the aptitude
of the silversmith's name for rhyme and
rhythm. Longfellow's lazy myth gave us
the brave failure to remember instead of the
braves who had succeeded. But who would
destroy a myth, which, like a bad painting,
becomes holy after it has aged? It is sub-
version to decry a hallowed lie; and greater
than Longfellow have built literature on
lies of design or omission.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, for ex-
ample. It is true that Goethe's tragedy of
"Egmont" was written for the stage, which
demands a tautness of construction not
essential for a prattling juvenile versification.
Still, the tragedy of Lamoral van Egmont,
Prince of Gavre, differed ultimately not one
bit from that of Philippe de Montmorency,
Count Horn (Hoorn): together they were
beheaded under the shadows of the superb
Gothic traceries decorating the Town Hall
still majestic in the Grand" Place in Brussels.
They were murdered by treachery in 1568,
by a holy Inquisition pushing Spain into
imperial suicide. There is a wicked irony in
this, for Egmont, one of the most powerful
Flemings, a successful general under Charles
V and a counsellor of the regent Margaret
of Parma, herself half-sister to Philip 11,
was a Roman Catholic of serious intentions.
But he demurred at the Duke of Alva's
projected slaughter of half the population
of the Low Countries; and Alva, shocked at
such heresy, and hating him besides, made
him immortal and started the Eighty Years'
War.

Egmont, like Charles 1 and Marie
Antoinette later, faced death with a serene
bravery that effaced the memory of many
faults. Count van Hoorn had fewer faults
to expiate, and he had a stronger character
and a quicker mind. More lavish, and gent-
ler, Egmont was the one chosen by Goethe
to symbolize what he never was.

The poet endowed the grand seigneur,
the knight of the Golden Fleece, the com-
panion of an emperor and one of the great-
est lords of the north, with a humble,
girlish girl-friend and sentiments that began
to find currency about two centuries after
Egmont's death. But Goethe stipulated
that music should be introduced at certain
places in his tragedy, and many composers
volunteered to supply it.

The last was Beethoven. The sentiments

BE M MANN AKihlVE

Egmont yields to Alva; the play's hero's
sentiments were also those of Beethoven.

ascribed to Egmont by Goethe were Beeth-
iven's sentiments. Part Fleming, part north-
German, always a rebellious evangel,
Beethoven metamorphosed the poet's hero
into an uncorrupted Danton. His Egmont
is more fabular even than Goethe's, but the
music extorts a credence, while it is being
played, in the fable and the protagonist,
that the words simply cannot obtain from an
audience of sophisticated skepticism. For
music is both terribly specific and nec-
essarily obscure: Beethoven's Egmont-
Danton music would not ill-fit the Gracchi
or General Washington, indomitable al-
though never victorious in the open field,
or George Thomas who never lost a battle,
whose terrifying rectitude lost him the love
of his family, the consideration of his friends
and the worship of legend.

Beethoven composed an Overture, which
everyone knows, and nine other illustra-
tions, for Goethe's drama. This is open-
hearted, direct, martial music without sub-
tlety, which would be offensive in the con-
text. (There is a place for Debussy, but
not on the field of battle, not contemplating
a decapitation on the Grand Place in Brus-
sels.) The "Egmont" music has the incon-
trovertible honesty of courage, hope,
aspiration and battle.

Westminster has made a great record of
this music. There are other records of
"Egmont," and they may now be forgotten,
for in no way do they challenge the suprem-
acy of the newest edition.

Dr. Scherchen in nine preceding Beetho-
ven disks has had good if not invariable suc-
cess. He is a studious and bold Beethoven
conductor whose less impressive perfor-
mances are those in which a conscientious
intellectualism disputes accepted courses in
the best-known works. This may be heard
in certain special tempos in some parts of
his recordings of the Sixth, Seventh and

Ninth Symphonies. It is almost impos-
sible to improve now the most enduring
concepts of works like these, because^in
the course of their hundred thousand per-
formances every improvement has been
tried. In the conductor's "Egmont" there
is no attempt to modify a familiar concept.
The only novelty in the Overture is the com-
pleteness with which a venerable type of
presentation has been re-presented. The
subtleties are not in the main line cf the
drama but in episodes and innuendoes.
Seldom can one hear dynamics so nicely
shaded, instruments so thoroughly revealed
without emphasis. Every piccolo-twirl,
every tap of a drum, every nuance of har-
mony, have been considered significant
and indispensable, and the conductor in-
sists on their being voiced.

As for the phrasing here — there
seems to be no basis on which fault can be
found with it. The notes are placed in the
mosaic in a way to evoke no questioning.
In a masterful display of conducting we are
not aware of a masterful individuality
except in the composer. We can note the
naturalness of the tempos, the evenness of
the strokes, the punctuality of the entrances
but we are not likely to note them at first,
for the felicity of the details is subordinate
to the intent of the entity.

Miss Laszlo, who has on occasion been
chided here for guarding the purity of her
voice at the expense of its utility, delivers
her two short scenas with unsuspected and
admirable spirit. Mr. Liewehr declaims
with taut restraint the words for which
Beethoven provided a taut accompaniment.

The limpid, fastidious sound has been so
contrived that the drama is in the music
rather than in the orchestra first. It is un-
exclamatory recording, with the players
banked naturally, their work delicately
exact, unexaggerated by special placement.
The breathtaking effects are those of reality
— the true timbre of a trumpet, the
smooth gravity of the bass, the chiseled tap
of a side-drum and the chiseled thud of the
kettledrums.

Besides the Overture and the two
scenas, there are four great entr'actes, an
interlude describing the death of Egmont's
suppositious sweetheart Clarette, a "melo-
drama" and the Symphony of Victory al-
ready heard in the coda of the Overture.
Beerhoven falters in none of them. Nor
Hermann Scherchen, nor Westminster.

A great record in glorious falsification
of history. Poor Horn and poor Dawes,
poor Prescott, so neglected by the poets!
But this is still their music, the music of
all who struggled and suffered for liberty.

C. G. Burke

BEETHOVEN

Egmont, Incidental Music to Goethe's
Tragedy, Op. 84

Vienna National Opera Orchestra, with
Magda Laszlo, soprano, and Fred Liewehr,
speaker; Hermann Scherchen, cond.
Westminster wl 5281. 12-in. 42 min.lygv

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

Miss Doyen, always a fine musician and
able technician, does her best work on this
disk, and the acoustics are exemplary for
clarity and smoothness. A grateful bow to
Westminster for this one. R. E.

CHOPIN

Piano Concerto No. i, E Minor, Op. u

Friedrich Gulda, piano. London Philhar-
monic; Sir Adrian Boult, cond.
London ll iooi. 12-in. 36 min. $5.95.

Artur Rubinstein, piano. Los Angeles Phil-
harmonic; Alfred Wallenstein, cond.
RCA Victor lm 1810. 12-in. 37 min- S5.95.

Mr. Rubinstein provides the best recording
to date on LP of Chopin's First Piano Con-
certo. The pianist personalizes the long,
fili greed melodies with his perfect instinct
for the right amount of rubato. The rhythms
are free, never too free; the pulse relaxed,
but not slack. The music breathes naturally;
every little figuration can be heard to a
proper degree. Strength and brilliance are
available when necessary, and the Rondo is
dashing, even playful. The piano is rightly
given prominence in the recording, and it
has a beautiful bright ring. The only flaw
in the performance is Mr. Wallenstein's
perfunctory reading of the orchestral ac-
companiment. Pale as the original scoring
is, it deserves better treatment.

Mr. Gulda's version is a great disappoint-
ment. He has tackled works by a variety
of composers — including Chopin — and
has successfully realized their styles, but in
this concerto his playing sounds almost me-
chanical. Tonally good, technically smooth,
musically phrased, the performance moves
along impersonally, even with a suggestion
of flashiness and hardness. Balakireff's
souped-up orchestration is used here — for
the first time, 1 believe, on LP. Colorful and
sometimes anachronistically rich, it is too
uncharacteristic for comfort. In a kind of
futile gesture, Sir Adrian conducts it just
beautifully. The piano, too, is recorded
with unusual faithfulness. R. E.

CHOPIN

Sonata No. 2, in B Plat Minor, Op. 35
(Funeral March); fantasy, in F Minor,
Op. 45; Barcarolle, in F Sharp Major,
Op. 60

Yves Nat, piano.

Haydn Society (Collection Discophiles
Francais) HSL-97. 12-in. 20, 1 2, 8 min. $5.95.

Born in France in 1890, Yves Nat has had a
distinguished career as a concert artist in
Europe. In 1952 he began to make record-
ings; this and a Schumann disk are the first
to be issued here, so far as I know. His
playing hete has a vigorous style, bracing
enough in the Funeral March itself and in
the Fantasy, which can cloy, but the general
absence of poetry in the performances of
Chopin works is a serious lack; it keeps the
record from competing with the many su-
perior recorded versions. Resonance and
clarity mark the excellent reproduction. R. E.

COLTPERIN

Royal Concert No. 3 (Suite in A)
La Steinquerque

Isabelle Nef, Ruggero Gerlin, harpsichords.
L'Oiseau-Lyre 50031. 12-in. 24, 10 min.
$5.95-

Couperin and Vivaldi have in common that
we all recognize Bach in them, Bach in
accord with the morals of his age having
imitated what seemed good to him. The
Bach we hear in this "Royal Concert" is
pure Couperin, and curious it is indeed in
its mixture of pomposity and flippancy, the
first closer to Handel, the second to Rameau,
than to Bach. "La Steinquerque" celebrates
the French victory at Steenkerke in Hainaut
over William III, the Dutch king of Eng.
land whose usurpation of the crown of
James II was immeasurably simplified by
the treason of James's trusted general John
Churchill, Earl and later Duke of Marl*
borough, forebear of another Churchill
without treason. — The music is not a
conflict between tunes, as in "Wellington's
Victory" or the "1812" Overture, but a
martial description of a French victory in
the idiom of a French glotre that through the
centuries has subjugated all Europe (in-
cluding England) except the Balkans and
the northern peninsulas. That glotre is now
extinct: the music is entertaining and brave,
and attests an epoch. Forthright playing
of the old keyboards, fascinating as they
counterpoint each other, and a sound of
brilliant actuality. C. G. B.

DEBUSSY

Estampes (Pagodes; La soiree dans Gren-
ade; Jardins sous la pluie)
Preludes, Books I and 1 1

Reine Gianoli, piano.

Westminster wal 214. Two 12-in. 1 3. 73
min. Si 1.90.

From the acoustical point of view, Debussy's
piano music has never been so splendidly
recorded as in this album. The vital coloris-
tic elements of the French composer's style
are enhanced with superb reproduction of
the piano's tonal resources, making them a
special attraction for hi-fi fans. Particularly,
the bass tones stand out for their soft, full
resonance. Musically, the set cannot stand
up to the Gieseking version. (Angel's
issue of Book II of the Preludes is not yet
available, but is promised; the acoustically
outdated Columbia is still available, how-
ever.) Miss Gianoli's excellent performances
represent a considerable achievement, and in
the more light-spirited preludes she is very
good indeed. But heard right after the Giese-
king recordings, hers sound earthbound and
unimaginative. R. E.

DEBUSSY
Jeux

Six Epigraphes Antiques

Otchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest
Ansermet, cond.

London ll 992. 12-in. 20, 22 min. $5.95.

Jeux, a ballet about a tennis match and
other sportive goings-on, was Debussy's
last orchestral work. It is a fascinating
study in instrumental effects and in subtle,
endlessly changing rhythms, but it lacks
formal tension and is therefore something
less than a masterpiece. Debussy composed
the Six Epigraphes Antiques for a chamber
ensemble, but published them in editions
fot one and two pianos. They are recorded
here in an orchestral transcription by An-
sermet which, if anything, is an improve-
ment over the keyboard versions. Like

Pierre Louys, whose Chansons cle B/Ht/s in.
spired the Epigraphes, Debussy evokes classi-
cal antiquity in a sensual, ironic mood, and
his modal flute-players' tunes and grave
little dances are particularly well suited to
orchestral treatment. Great performances
and absolutely magnificent recordings. A. F.

DEBUSSY

Nocturnes: Nuages; Fetes; Sirenes
fRavel: Rapsodie Espagnol; Menuet
Antique

L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du
Conservatoire de Paris. Jean Fournet, cond.
Epic lc 3048. 12-in. 47 min. $5.95.

The only competitive recording, coupling
the Debussy and Ravel scores, is the brilli-
ant Ansermet performances on London LL
530. This makes for formidable opposition
and though there is much to admire in
Fournet's work (the Ravel, in particular, is
given a stunning reading), I do not find he
matches the Swiss conductor in subtlety
or the ability to mold the fluid lines of
the Debussy score with the same conviction.
Epic's sound, though not bad, is occasional-
ly strident, and lacks the polished glow of
the London recording. A minor complaint:
in "Sirenes" the placement of the women's
voices is uncomfortably close.

The elegant and graceful Menuet, an early
Ravel score, appears for the first time on
records in some years. Both the work and
its performance are completely beguiling.

J. F. I.

DE LASSUS, ROLAND
Psaumes de la Penitence a cinq Voix —
See Monteverdi.

DVORAK.

Z igeu nerm elodien {Gypsy Songs), Op. 55
— See Brahms.

FAURE

Ballade for Piano and Orchestra; Theme
and Variations, Op. 73; Impromptu No. 3

fPoulenc: Eight Nocturnes; Mouvements
Perpetuels

Grant Johannesen, piano. Netherlands
Philharmonic Orchestra, Walter Goehr,
cond. in the Faure Ballade.
Concert Hall chs 1 181 . 12-in. $5.95.

Everything about this record conveys an
air of maturity, ripeness, generosity, balance,
and good sense. That applies with equal
force to the recording, the choice of material,
and the performance. The gracious, re-
served, somewhat Chopinesque Ballade of
Faure is played off against his biggest and
most dramatic piano work, the Variations,
and the Faure* side of things is completed
with the brief, brilliant Impromptu. The
Poulenc of the Nocturnes is the very model
of a modern salon composer. These eight
pieces are picturesque, crystal-clear, impres-
sive in their demands on the virtuosity of
the performet, discretely interesting in musi-
cal content, and offer no challenge to the
aural habits of the oldest countess in the
room. The Mouvements Perpituels briefly re-
call the shenanigans of Poulenc's youth
among the Six, when he chose to ipater le
bourgeois with simplicity, directness, and
total absence of pretense. A. F.

Continued on page 68

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

RAY ERICSON RECOMMENDS TEN
BASIC ORGAN RECORDS

As often as people hear the organ played and as much as they
realize it is a complex instrument, most have little knowledge of its
make-up. It does not seem condescending, therefore, to suggest
as an initial basic record a disk that explains the tonal organiza-
tion of the organ. On The King of Instruments, Vol. I — "The
American Classic Organ" (Aeolian-Skinner), G. Donald Harrison,
best-known of organ designers in America today, describes funda-
mental varieties of pipes, while examples, solo and in combination,
are played on many different instruments. Besides being educa-
tional, the record is carefully arranged to intrigue the ear; it also
offers some sane information on styles in organs, and, by inference,
on organ playing. The sounds are beautifully recorded by a com-
pany that quite naturally wanted to show off the organ at its best.

The greatest era of organ composition came in that period char-
acterized in music as baroque — that beginning with the Gabrielis
in sixteenth-century Venice and culminating in eighteenth-century
Germany in the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach; playing an organ
and composing for it provided a customary livelihood for musi-
cians at that time. It would be possible to find 10 basic recordings
alone in this field, in single disks devoted to such major composers
as the Gabrielis, Scheidt, Frescobaldi and Buxtehude, and to the
schools of composers in England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain
and the Netherlands. But for the purposes of this selection, one
record will have to do justice to the composers prior to Bach:
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Organ Music (Allegro
36), played by Robert Noehren on the Schlicker organ in the Ken-
more Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, N. Y., an instrument that at-
tempts to reproduce the sound of the organs in the baroque period.

Perhaps most famous as an organist in his own day, Bach poured
his inexhaustible supply of creative ideas into a staggering array of
works for this medium. To illustrate the two most representative
forms this output took, I would choose a three-disk volume of
Preludes and Fugues, Vol, I (Decca D.x-117) and the disk de-
voted to the chorale preludes in the second half of theOrgelbiichlein
(Haydn Society hsl 84). (The first half is also available on hsl 83.)
The preludes and fugues are played by Helmut Walcha on baroque
organs in Liibeck and Cappel, Germany. The 1 1 examples cover
a wide period in Bach's creative career and include one or two of
the more familiar ones. Mr. Walcha explores these majestic tonal
structures with a gratifying mixture of dignity and vigor, and the
mechanical aspects are satisfactory. The Orgelbiichlein chorale pre-
ludes, small in scale, intimate, often profound, are austerely played
by Finn Vider0 on a baroque organ at Sor0, Denmark, and the
remarkable color-range possible to it is given the cleanest pos-
sible reproduction by the engineers. The jacket gives the names
of the organ stops, or registration, for each work — valuable in-
formation to the listener curious enough to study it.

At this point, respect should be paid to the organ concertos of
Handel, who practically invented them, but there is no good single-
disk selection; instead a present-day example of the form is included
in this listing, coupled with two of Cesar Franck's works. The
Belgian-born composer, who spent the greater part of his career
as an organist in Paris, produced in his Three Chorales of his final
years some of the loveliest nineteenth-century works for organ.
Here we will be concerned with the Prelude, Fugue and Variation,
Op. 18, and his Piece be rot que (Columbia ML 4329), which are
thoroughly characteristic in their alternation of sweetly meditative
and cautiously dramatic passages. The softer, more richly textured
tone colors that were coming to mark the late nineteenth-century
French organ are suggested in a tasteful performance by E. Power
Biggs, apparently playing on the fine new organ in Symphony Hall
in Boston. The companion piece on this disk is Francis Poulenc's
Concerto in G Minor for Organ, String Orchestra, and Tym-
pani. This contemporary work, illustrating the French composer's
customary wit and stylishness, and smartly played by Mr. Biggs
and the Columbia Symphony under Richard Burgin, shrewdly

October, 1954

number thirteen

points up the instrument s striking possibilities in a work of this
kind. The sound is quite adequate, but not the highest fi, being
four years old.

To get back to the middle of the nineteenth century and another
disk made by Mr. Biggs, let us turn to Julius Reubke's Sonata
on the 94th Psalm (Columbia ml 4820). This curious item, al-
most the only extant work of a German composer who died in
1858 at the age of 24, incorporates some of the original ideas his
teacher, Franz Liszt, had about organ music. It is a highly romantic
work, full of Sturm unci Drang, stemming from a literary idea, and
quite exciting in its impact. In this music, Mr. Biggs makes use of
the vast tonal resources of the mammoth organ at Methuen (Mass.)
Memorial Music Hall, and the tremendous sounds he evokes have
been srunningly captured by Columbia's engineers. On the other
side of the record is Liszt's Fantasia and Fugue on BACH
and two sections of his Organ Mass, the former representing the
grandiose, the latter the devotional aspects of his musical style.

Charles Marie Widor's Symphony No. 9 (Gothic) and Sym-
phony No. 10 (Roman) (Classic ce 1012) carry forward the de-
velopment of the organ as an instrument which was being converted
little by little into a monster comparable to a symphony orchestra.
These two works, dating from the 1890's, show a widening tonal
range and the increasing size and complexity of organ compositions;
without being profound, they are masterfully conceived for the
instrument and of considerable interest. Each symphony requires
both sides of a disk for performance; No. 9 is played by Clarence
Watters on the Trinity College Chapel organ, Hartford, Conn.;
No. 10 by William Self on the All Saints Church organ, Worcester,
Mass.

Catherine Crozier's disk devoted to French Organ Music (Ken-
dall LP 2553) brings that important field up to date. The representa-
tive selection of twentieth-century works includes Marcel Dupre's
frequently played Variations on a Noel and works by Jean Langlais,
Paul de Maleingreau, Olivier Messiaen, and Jean Alain, all of whom
have written extensively for the instrument. The organ is that in
Kilbourn Hall, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N. Y.,
and the sound is capably reproduced.

A comparable disk by Miss Crozier is devoted to American music,
and I would include it here except for its strong resemblance in style
and content to the French music above. Only Leo Sowerby's works
on the record strike a truly individual note. American works of more
distinct flavor are Roger Sessions' Chorale and Three
Chorale Preludes and Virgil Thomson's Variations on Sun-
day-School Tunes (Esoteric 522). Thomson has been an organist,
and his amusing variations constitute a loving and satirical look at
inadequately trained harmonium players in country churches. The
homely tunes he deals with should arouse a reminiscent moment or
two in many listeners. Sessions' works might be termed neo-baroque,
for they find their inspiration in Bach's music. The American com-
poser's pieces, full of strong harmonic tensions and wonderfully
knit, are fresh and original and worthy of the old master. The
music finds a very persuasive exponent in Marilyn Mason, who
plays with enormous skill and verve on the organ at St. Paul's
Chapel, Columbia University, N. Y., and the recording is of the
clean-cut, close-to kind.

The organ having assumed many shapes and forms, one of its
more frivolous varieties should provide us with a light-hearted end-
ing to our list. I am referring to those bloated mechanical contrap-
tions that were part and parcel of the old motion-picture palaces.
Having as much useless tonal decoration as the buildings had ar-
chitecturally, the movie organ came equipped with stops to imitate
just about any sound. Reginald Foort in the Mosque, Vol. IV
(Cook Sounds of Our Times 1053) is the latest in a series of disks
recorded on the organ at a theater in Richmond, Va. by that master
of high fidelity, Emory Cook. The great throbbing sounds that
fill the cavernous auditorium are too realistically reproduced for
comfort; the music is strictly movie-palace, too.

building your record library-

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records

GOUNOD
Songs

Charles Gounod: Chanson de Printemps; Ce
que je suis sans tot; Ma belle amie est morte;
Venise; 0 ma belle rebelle; Vims! Les gazons
sent verts!; Les deux pigeons.

Gerard Souzay (b). Jacqueline Bonneau,
piano.

London ld 91 10. 10-in. $2.95.

Like lemmings and migratory birds, record
companies have odd group-impulses. Sev-
eral rivals at once will suddenly and without
warning begin to burrow into the same cor-
ner of the vast mass of neglected musics.
Just now, for example, there is in progress
an excavation of the non-operatic vocal
writings of Charles Gounod; first West-
minster, and now London, have dug up
songs that have rested virtually undisturbed
for half a century. Who knows why? But
why not? It was Gounod's bad luck to
exist on the off-side of the compositional
watershed that divides nineteenth-century
French music. Taken on their own terms,
his songs are very good ones, but they are
neither r$cherch$ enough to interest anti-
quarians nor nearly sophisticated enough
harmonically or prosodically to escape the
scorn of those to whom Faure' is the first
French song writer worth noticing. Ac-
ceptance of them now depends almost en-
tirely on what the individual listener de-
mands that a song be. If he is willing to
grant that a composer can have worked well
if he has but created a singing melody on
which successive strophes can be carried,
he will find much to charm him in Gounod.
He was not a great creative original, but he
was a fine, educated craftsman, and he did
have tunes. Most of the melodies are not
strikingly individual, but they are always
graceful, Bowing, and fine-grained, and
often very charming. In GeVard Souzay
they have an interpreter who is highly in-
telligent, sufficiently accomplished as a
vocalist, and spontaneously musical. If
any fault is to be found, it is in the hard-to-
define sense that perhaps he is too talented
to do himself and Gounod quite full justice,
for his singing here is almost perfunctory
in its ease of address. If mastering songs
were harder for him he might sometimes find
more in them. Accompaniments: splendid.
Engineering: characteristically good. Not
a must, but highly recommended to those
who do not need all songs to be great mas-
terpieces. J. H.,Jr.

HAYDN

Concerto for Harpsichord in D, Op. 21
— see Bach.

LECLAIR

Sonata for Violin and Keyboard, in D,
Op. 9, No. 3 — see Beethoven.

LISZT

Totentanz, for piano and orchestra
fMendelssohn: Capriccio Brilliant in B

Minor, Op. 22; Rondo Brilliant in E Flat

Major, Op. 29

Peter Katin, piano. London Philharmonic;

Jean Martinon, cond.

London ll 1007. 12-in. 17. 10, 10 min.

$5-95-

Mr. Katin and Mr. Martinon give a re-
sounding, large-scale performance of the
Totentanz, one of Liszt's most original and
fascinating creations. In view of the super-
lative recording London has given it, this
version supersedes the previous ones on
RCA Victor (Brailowsky-Reiner) and M-G-
M (Jacquinot-Fistoulari). I am less en-
chanted by Mr. Katin's way with the Men-
delssohn items, which he races through
glibly, sometimes leaving Mr. Martinon a
fraction of a beat behind. Stylistically satis-
factory performances of either work remain
to be recorded on LP disks for both works.
Like those of Mr. Katin, Orazio Frugoni's
Capriccio (Vox) and Moura Lympany's
Rondo (RCA Victor) are too brashly modern
in flavor. R. E.

MALIPIERO
Violin Concerto

Fritz Kirmse; Symphony Orchestra of Radio

Leipzig, Rolf Kleinert, cond.

fRakoff: Violin Concerto

Saschko Gavrilov; Symphony Orchestra of

Radio Berlin, Arthur Rother, cond.

Urania urlp 7112. 12-in. 22, 24 mins.

G. Francesco Malipiero is a great composer,
and a disk of any work that bears his name
should at least be noticed in print, but his
violin concerto, composed in 1932, sounds
turgid and pointless in this performance.
Perhaps the composer is to blame, perhaps
the interpreter; the only thing one can be
sure of is that neither is aided by the shrieky,
frigid recording. The Rakoff concerto on
the other side is a Prokofieffian affair on the
standard Soviet model. A. F.

MONTEVERDI

Vespers of 1610 (Vespre delta Beata Ver-
gitie and Magnificat)

Margaret Ritchie (s); Elsie Morrison (s);
William Herbert (t); Richard Lewis (t);
Bruce Boyce (b). Geraint Jones (organ)
and Ruggiero Gerlin (harpsichord); London
Singers and Ensemble Orchestral de l'Oi-
seau-Lyre; Anthony Lewis, cond.
L'Oiseau-Lyre OL-50021/2. Two 12-in.
$1 1.90.

In reading reviews of music of this period
it is not possible to keep too clearly in mind
the fact that not all reviewers are musicologi-
cal scholars, much less musicological scholars
with special expertise in the seventeenth
century, and even if they were there would
still be room for quite violent disagreement
as to whether a certain performance con-
stituted a valid presentation of the music
as it was meant to be heard. The fact is,
nobody knows exactly what this music
sounded like, and almost any performance
at all is bound to be in some measure at
least a translation into the here and now.
Some performance details are agreed on,
some others are variously interpreted, and
some can only be guessed at. Since the non-
expert reviewer is stuck with a problem,
the buyer who takes his incautious word
may get stuck with some pretty atrocious
travesties of early music. All anyone can
do is hope for the best.

However that may be, there is only maso-
chism in avoiding the issue and not buying
a recording of such a magnificent work as

this simply because it may not please all
scholars of the period in which it was com-
posed. Actually, there is little risk in ac-
quiring this particular recording. The tradi-
tion of performance is healthily conserva-
tive, without romantic gooking-up of har-
monies, and the performers are excellently
schooled. The whole sense gained is one of
devotion to the music and to the spirit of
devotion itself. In any case, it is better sung
and at least as well recorded as its competi-
tion. Whatever exception might be taken
to any of Anthony Lewis' assumptions about
Monteverdi (and I am not aware of any),
this is exceedingly lovely music, well played
and sung, and cleanly reproduced. Recom-
mended. J. H., Jr.

MOZART

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, in A.

KV 622

fStrauss: Concerto for Horn and Orches-
tra, in E Flat, Op. 11

Ewald Koch; Chamber Orchestra of Radio
Berlin, Herbert Haarth, cond. (Mozart)
Heinz Lohan; Orchestra of Radio Leipsic,
Gerhard Wiesenhutter, cond. (Strauss)
Urania 7108. 12-in. 27, 18 min. $5.95.

This performance of the Clarinet Concerto,
easy in animated grace and the best sonically,
must command the serious attention of
music-lovers. Mr. Koch has not the pro-
tean tone of Mr. Cahuzac for the Haydn
Society, nor the polished crispness of Mr.
Kelt for Decca, but the brilliance of the
Haydn Society recording is better fitted for
ordinary phonographs than for more sensi-
tive apparatus, out of which the Urania
sound glides supple and contenting. Mr.
Haarth, conducting for Urania, prefers a
pulse far more active than the stately beat of
Mr. Woldike for the HS, which is not with-
out a strong appeal although that appeal is
not immediate. — The Strauss Concerto is
less telling here than on Columbia ml 4775,
although the present record is satisfactory
until the comparison is made. The big or-
chestra is a little lost in echo, and the vio-
lins are sharp, with the solo horn's conquest
of his difficulties rather faraway. C. G. B

MOZART

Trios for Piano, Violin and Cello, in b
Flat, kv 254; and G, kv 564

Paul Badura-Skoda, Jean Fournier, Antonio
Janigro.

Westminster wl 5284. 12-in. 22, 17 min
*5-95-

Completes the Westminster edition oi
Mozart's Piano Trios by these same three
players, a soft but indelible success. Vio-
linist and pianist through inclination and
practice have assimilated a late-eighteenth
century style which issues from their strings
with a gratifying finality of natural assur-
ance. Phrases are passed among all three
less like a ball tossed from player to player
than like the flow of quicksilver along an
animated course. The sound has an appropri-
ate delicate delineation, everything seeming
right, and exact and small-scaled. This is
felicity, and cheers would affront it, but a
well-modulated acknowledgment of its
serene preeminence could not be rebuked
and is herewith offered. C. G. B.

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OFFENBACH

Overtures to La Belle Heleni; Orpheus
in Hades

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Al-
fred Wallenstein, cond.
Decca dl 4095. 10-in. 18 min. $2.30.

Dashing and healthy performances of these
two standard Offenbach overtures. Perhaps
the froth is not quite as airy as it might be,
but the high spirits of the scores are well
realized, and the playing has sparkle. Dec-
ca's sound has just the proper brightness
for this music. J. F. I.

PAGANINI

Le Streghe (Witches' Dance), Op. 8 (arr.
Kreisler); Fantasia on the G String
(after Rossini's "Mosi in Egitto"); Moto
Perpetuo, Op. 1 1; Variations on "Net cor
piii tion mi sento" from Paisiello's "La
Molinara"; Variations on "God Save the
Queen," Op. 9; La Campanella (from
Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor)
(arr. Kochanski); Sonata No. 12 in E
Minor, Op. 3, No. 6; I Palpi ti, Op. 13
(arr. Kreisler)

Ruggiero Ricci, violin; Louis Persinger,
piano.

London ll 1005. 12-in. $5.95.

The pieces in this collection are frankly for
purposes of display, and display Ricci does
in the very best fashion, combining fault-
lessly brilliant technique with unusually

warm tone. There is some truly amazing
fiddling here, especially in the Molo Perpetuo,
which alone is worth the price of the record.
Some outstanding work is also to be heard
in the unaccompanied Paisiello Variations.
Since these pieces were all meant to show
off the violin, there is very little of interest
for the piano — played in this instance by
another noted violinist and teacher — so its
relegation to an inconspicuous background
position is not amiss. The violin tone
emerges with great clarity and fidelity, and
there is just the right degree of room
resonance. A "must" for all violinists. P. A.

POULENC

Eight Nocturnes: Mouvements Perpetuels
— See Faure'.

PROKOFIEFF

Sonata for Violin and Piano, No. 1, in F
Minor, Op. 80 — see Beethoven.

RAKOFF

Violin Concerto — See Malipiero.
RAMEAU

Six Concerts en Sextuor

Hewitt Chamber Orchestra, Paris, Maurice
Hewitt, cond.

Haydn Society 99. 12-in. 6, 13, 1 1, 6, 9,
14 min. $5.95.

Rameau, born 270 years ago, ought not to

be strange to us, but he is, practically. A
"great composer" in the music histories,
he is evident to us in America through a
half dozen of his harpsichord pieces in
transcription. The Haydn Society with this
captivating disk demonstrates what a great
composer he truly was. The six "Concerts"
contain 20 expansions of harpsichord works
not excelled in their time for fancy, verve
and daring, and immeasurably improved in
the orchestral setting. There are a dozen
small masterpieces here, and in the driving
energy of Mr. Hewitt's direction they are
not likely to have a completer realization
although they could have one of greater
polish. Forrunately the curse of violin
shrillness is easily eased from this record,
and the snapping vitality of the music as
these enthusiastic Frenchmen play it is re*
produced with a concrete semblance of actu*
ality that music-lovers will not resist. Vol-
ume should be high for this record, and en-
thusiasm will be higher. C. G. B.

RAVEL

Rapsodie Espagnol;
see Debussy.

Menuet Antique —

SAINT-SAENS

'Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33
— See Lalo.

SAINT-SAENS

Five Piano Pieces — See Chabrier.

ProkofielT's Prince in New Armor — Alexander Nevsky

In ITS PRESENT FORM, this arresting and epic work is a re-
modeling and expansion of the music Prokofieff wrote, in 1937,
as the score for Sergei Eisenstein's motion picture, "Alexander
Nevsky". The Russian text, in which the composer took a hand,
is based on the heroic struggle of the Russians of Novgorod, under
Prince Nevsky, against the invading Teutonic Knights, who are
finally defeated in the battle on rhe ice of Lake Chad. Written
shortly after his return to Soviet Russia in 1934, this is undoubtedly
one of the composer's most creative works, which may well have
roots in a new feeling of national pride, reborn after his sojourn in
the Western parts of Europe.

Throughout its seven movements, beginning with the marvel-
lously depicted feeling of desolation that hovers over the landscape,
on through the magnificently conceived panorama of the battle on
the ice, and to the triumphal entry of Nevsky into the City of Pskov,
the composer shows himself as a master colorist in orchestral sound.
Not less effective is his remarkable and imposing choral writing,
often set against a riot of dissonance, which heightens the intensity
without obscuring it. Orchestrally the highlight is the extraordinarily
descriptive passage describing the battle on the ice, with its ominous
quiet before the armies are engaged, the use of cellos, violas and
doubles basses to suggest the German warriors' attack, building
up to a crescendo of ear-splitting sound as the armies clash. The
quickening pace is accelerated, and as the Knights, fleeing in de-
feat, fall into the icy waters, the orchestration is brilliantly suggestive
of their fate.

The new Vanguard recording is an unqualified triumph for every-
one concerned. The sound is of extraordinary realism, very forward,
incisively clear, even where the orchestral timbres are most complex.
The balance between orchestra and chorus, a most delicate matter
in a work of such large proportions, is always just to both par-
ticipants. In addition, the sound has a depth and expansiveness
that serves to heighten the broad scope of the work. Rossi produces
a most dynamic reading. The orchestral work is always of superb
quality, and the chorus has been well drilled. Their atxacks are
always beautifully clean, and the diction is impeccable. Miss
Iriarte is deeply affecting in the touching but proud song of the

October, 1954

Ana Maria Iriarte sings the plaint uf a buttte-widuwed Russian.

woman looking for her beloved on the field of the dead. The per-
formance is sung in Russian, and it musr be said, is far more effec-
tive than that sung in English on the Columbia Version (ml 4247)
though the latter version, which dates back ro 1948 or so, is still a
remarkable achievement. Tourel, in particular, is most affecting in
her solo, and Ormandy's playing is always very good; the weakest
part of this recording is the occasional fuzziness of the vocal sound
of the chorus. As a matter of interest, Ormandy takes four minutes
longer than Rossi to complete the work.

John F. Indcox

PROKOFIEFF

Alexander Nevsky, Cantata, Op. 78

Ana Maria Iriarte, mezzo-soprano; Vienna State Opera Chorus
and Orchestra, Mario Rossi, cond.
Vanguard vrs 451. 12-in. 35 min. 15.95.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Casals Makes His First Concerto in Eighteen Years

HEN THE Spanish Civil War ended
in victory for Franco and his allies, among
those who fled across the border into
France was the world's greatest cellist,
Pablo Casals, a man who had been out-
spoken about his politics and remained so.
Indeed, as evidence of his earnestness, he
promptly vowed never to play in concert
again while a dictator ruled Spain — par-
ticularly not for the peoples who should
have rallied to the aid of his beloved Re-
public, and didn't.

Now this was a misdirected punishment,
for Ministers of State are by and large a
tin-eared gentry, unlikely to suffer keenly
from such a deprivation; it was musicians
and music lovers that Casals' abstention
hurt. This fact was brought home to the
good gray cellist in 1950, largely by the
irrepressible and persuasive American vio-
linist Alexander Schneider, and in that year
Casals began playing publicly again, though
only at his home-base in Prades, France,
and in nearby Perpignan. However, Col-
umbia recording engineers were at hand to
take down his efforts, and those of the
musical notables who journeyed to join in
the Casals Festival performances. Much
fine chamber music on records has come
forth, summer after summer.

Something still has been lacking, though;
in the old days Casals as recitalist and cham-
ber-group player was known to the few,
Casals as soloist in the great concertos to
the many. Last summer, finally, at 76, he
agreed to record a concerto. The last
he had made was the Dvorak, with the
Czech Philharmonic, in pre-war, 78-rpm
days. It and one other (the Boccherini B-
flat, even older) are in the LP catalog as re-
prints; no other Casals concertos are.

The concerto he picked to make was the
Schumann, which is in some ways the best
in the literature and also not too long and

■

PAUL. MOOR

Casals plays at 76. The Schumann concerto
best suited both occasion and performer.

taxing for a man of 76, hale though he may
be. (There was wishful talk of a Brahms
Double Concerto, and this may not be
ruled out entirely for the future.) The
orchestra was the Prades Festival group,
somewhat amplified for the occasion. The
conductor (this is an open secret) was
Eugene Ormandy, who knew perfectly well
the risk of union troubles he ran by recording
abroad without AFM clearance, but who
demanded the opportunity just the same.

The result of all this was bound to be a
happy one, and it is. Comparison of the
new Columbia Schumann with the old
Dvorak Concerto recording reveals that
Casals has lost a little of his old smooth
deftness, not much, but none of his insight.
There is not great scope to the Schumann
concerto, but there is the restrained inten-

sity that perfuses many of the composer's
late works, and there is a logical economy
and compactness not too common in sym-
phonic Schumann. No show-off performer
makes much sense of this concerto, but
Casals does.

The recording itself is endearing, if the
word is not out of place. Its whole atmos-
phere is intimate and informal. The micro-
phone was placed jusr a trifle too close to
the Old Master, to make sure that absolutely
nothing was missed. As a result, it cap-
tures all the sympathetic little grunts and
moans he emits occasionally as headdresses
his instrument, and even little premonitory
plucks as he sounds his strings before an
attack. Imperfections, but charming. The
orchestra is in good balance, and completely
in the spirit of the thing. Everyone was
thinking of Schumann.

The smaller works on the reverse of the
record are less important but very musical
and worthwhile.

John M. Conly

SCHUMANN

Concerto in A Minor for Cello and Orches-
tra, Op. 129

Pablo Casals, cello, with the Prades Festival
Orchestra.

fA Casals Recital:

Cant Del Oce lis (Song of the Birds; arr. Casals)
Sant Marti Del Canigo (arr. Casals); Bach:
Aria (From Organ Pastorale in F); Bach:
Recitative (From Organ Concerto, No. 3;
arr. Rosanoff); Haydn: Adagio (From
Sonata No. 9 in D Major for Piano); De
Falla: Nana (From Seven Spanish Popular
Songs).

Pablo Casals, cello, variously with Eugene
Istomin, piano, and Prades Festival Orches-
tra.

Columbia ml 4926. 12-in. S5-95-

SARASATE
Danzas Espanolas
Caprice Basque, Op. 24
Introduction et Tarantelle, Op. 4$
Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, No. 1

Ruggiero Ricci, violin; Louis Persinger,
piano.

London ll 962. 12-in. $5.95.

Superb technique, beautiful tone, well-re-
produced, with the piano discreetly shoved
into the background. The music, by a
violinist-composer, is concerned mainly
with the stringed instrument, but Sarasate
was less interested in technical display than,
say, Paganini, and he was an inventive and
interesting melodist. Consequently, though
the playing may not be quite as exciting as
in Ricci's Paganini disk, the Spanish-flavored
music is far more attractive, and is likely to
have a more lasting appeal. All eight of the
Danzas Espanolas — the familiar and the un-
familiar— are included, recorded complete
on microgroove for the first time. P. A.

SCHUMANN

Concerto for Piano, in A Minor, Op. 14
Barnabas Mewton-Wood; Netherlands Phil-

harmonic Orchestra, Walter Goehr, cond.
MMS 43. 10-in. 32 min. $1.50.

A solid, journeyman production not to be
despised because it is not the best version of
the i3 recorded, of which a number are
notably inferior to this. Indeed the only
considerable fault of the MMS performance
is an absence of contrast to its prevailing
healthiness. Here are the body and half the
soul of the music, for $1.50, in a reproduc-
tion better than acceptable if not first-class,
the violins being too much in prominence,
the winds a little veiled, the bass in short
measure. C. G. B.

SCRIABIN

The Divine Poem (Symphony No. 3 in C
Minor), Op. 43

State Radio Orchestra of the USSR; Nikolai

Golovanov, cond.

Classic ce 3oo3. 12-in. S5.95.

With the appearance of The Divine Poem,
all three of Alexander Scriabin's more popu-
lar symphonic works are available on long-
playing records. The present one is more
harmonically varied and seems to me better

constructed than its companions. The Poem
of Ecstasy and The Poem of Fire, but it still
remains in the category of musical soul-
baring, mysticism, or whatever you want to
call it. The weight of its Nietzschian philos-
ophy is relieved only by the music itself,
which falls on the ears most of the time
with the lightness of a Hollywood score for
a historical extravaganza. There are, I
know, people who profess to be impressed
by the "Poem" trilogy, but to me Scriabin
seems most likely to survive not by virtue
of his orchestral scores but because of some
exquisite miniatures for the piano. The
performance by Golovanov and his forces
is competent; the reproduction, matching
the music, is loud, but not particularly hi-fi.

P. A.

STRAUSS

Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, in E flat,
Op. 11 — see Mozart.

STRAUSS
Elektra (excerpts)

Richard Strauss: Elektra (tragedy in one act;
book by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, after

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www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

Sophocles); excerpts: Alleint Weh, ganz
allein! (Elektra); hh will nkhts horen (Elektra
and Klytemnestra); Was willst du, fremder
Mensch? (Elektra and Orest).

Christl Goltz (s), Elektra; Elisabeth Hoen-
gen (ms), Klytemnestra; Ferdinand Frantz
(b), Orest. Bavarian State Orchestra; George
Solti, cond.

DeCCa DL 9723. 12-in. $5.85.

Possibly because it makes a lot of noise and
still doesn't draw big enough audiences to
support it in repertory in New York,
Elektra seems to have attained in otherwise
advanced intellectual circles in this country
something very like permanent status as
the great quintessential^ modern opera —
quite an achievement for a score that won't
even be 50 years old until 1959. Wozzeck,
chicken at 3o, is somewhere over the next
hill. Get the perspective straight: Life is
a dream, Taft is President, Marconi just got
the Nobel Prize for inventing radio, the
Russo-Japanese War was the last great in-
ternational conflict, Clyde Fitch is the fore-
most dramatist of the times, and Lillian
Lorraine has just burst out of a pool of
soap bubbles into the Ziegfeld Follies of 1909.
"Get a horse!" is going out of style, but
just. So much for cultural avant-gardisme.
But modern or no, Elektra is about as far
as anyone, even Strauss, could go in the
extension of Wagnerian theory and practice,
and it is strong, vital theater.

This disk of excerpts is a very worth-
while representation of some of the best
meat in the score, although by its through-
composed nature Elektra loses much both
through being taken out of the theater and
through being cut so that it has no chance
to achieve the tremendous cumulative effect
that it can in a well-paced performance with
a strong cast. Still, some is perhaps better
than none, and the chunks are big ones.
The cast — what is left of it — is quite
good. Cristl Goltz, the most-in-demand
Elektra in Europe now, and Salome candidate
for the Metropolitan, is most impressive in
a solid, emotionally wide-ranging perform-
ance of one of the most taxing declamatory
roles in the repertoire; and Elisabeth
Hoengen, as those who heard her Klytem-
nestra at the Metropolitan will know, is a
splendid artist, a little past the peak vocally
but well able to project the hag-ridden,
Superstitious queen completely in this re-
cording. Ferdinand Frantz is satisfactory as
the untalkative Orest, and the Munich
opera players — who very likely know their
Strauss as well as the Metropolitan players
know their Verdi — give George Solti vital
attacks and a solid body of tone. Engineer-
ing balances are not those of the opera house,
but once the assumptions are granted they
make perfectly good sense, and the sound
is bright, but with plenty of space for the
massive chords. All told, very good as far
as it goes, and so recommended. J. H., Jr.

STRAUSS
Salome

Richard Strauss: Salome (opera in one act
after the play by Oscar Wilde, German
translation by Hedwig Lachmann): Christl
Goltz (s), Salome; Margareta Kenney (ms),
Herodias; Else Schiirhoff (ms), Page of
Herodias; Julius Patzak (t), Herod Antipas;
Anton Dermota (t), Narraboth; Rudolf

Christ (t), First Jew; Hugo Meyer-Welfing
(t), Second Jew; Kurt Preger (t), Third
Jew; Murray Dickie (t), Fourth Jew; Her-
mann Gallos (t), A Slave; Hans Braun (b),
Jokanaan; Ludwig Weber (bs), First Naza-
rene; Walter Berry (bs), First Soldier;
Ljubomir Pantscheff (bs), A Cappadocian;
Harald Proglhof (bs), Second Nazarene;
Franz Bierbach (bs), Fifth Jew; Herbert
Alsen (bs), Second Soldier. Vienna Phil-
harmonic; Clemens Krauss, cond.
London ll 1038-39. Two 12-in. $11.90.

The appearance of this new recording further
complicates the Salome situation so ably
analyzed by C. G. Burke in his Richard
Strauss discography in the April issue of
High Fidelity. Now there are three versions
on LP, and still none can be slighted in the
consideration. As performances, all have
positive virtues. As recordings, all are at
least acceptable in sound. As totalities,
though, all also have shortcomings that
necessarily qualify praise of them. And, in
addition, each is different from the others in
ways that may matter to people whose con-
victions about this opera are strong and
immutable.

The late Clemens Krauss is the main asset
in the new London recording of Salome.

When all adjustments have been made,
the new London set is probably the best.
On paper it looks like an absolutely sure
thing, (or its cast has much greater over-all
distinction than its competitors', and the
late Clemens Krauss was generally regarded
as one of the linest of all Strauss conductors.
As it turns out, the performance is in all
basic respects a fine one, but there is also
some disconcertingly flawed singing, and
the sound that comes out of the grooves
has not the brilliance, the clarity, nor the
carefully controlled balance of performing
elements that is characteristic of the finest
London opera recordings. The voice-or-
chestra perspective is untypical, and al-
though it is possible to like the added sense
of distance from the singers (I, for one,
really prefer it) the orchestral voices are
not as cleanly defined as some will like.
However, it is a performance of real charac-
ter, and the full range of sound is to be
heard (as it is not in the Oceanic version),
and is presented honestly, without artificial
souping up (as it is not in the Columbia).

Aside from some competition from Inge
Borkh, and still, to an extent, from Ljuba
Welitch, Christl Goltz is the preferred
Salome in first-class European opera houses,
and will sing the role at the Metropolitan
next season. Thus it is interesting to com-

pare her with^herself in the Oceanic and
London sets. All in all, she is a fine vocal
actress in this opera, and experience of the
two performances give the listener grounds
not only for admiring her as a phenomenon
but for respecting her as a developing artist,
although in some respects the earlier per-
formance is better.

As is obvious to anyone who will give it a
thought, the main problem of a soprano
singing Salome — aside from the formidable
one of getting through it without collaps-
ing — is to deal somehow with the non-
correspondence between Wilde's play and
Strauss' music. Wilde's Salome is an in-
nocent to begin with, before her develop-
ment into a necrophilic symbol of decadent
lust. But Strauss wrote music for Salome
that is very hard even to begin virginally,
and few sopranos who can make themselves
heard through the orchestra in the final
scene, or who can make the tempting of
Herod convincing, can also portray inno-
cence. Most sopranos solve the problem by
ignoring it and going all out from their
first entrance. This makes Salome into a
sort of congenital hellion and spoils the
virgin-into-demon idea, but it is simpler
and much surer. The only sensible attitude
for a critic is to accept both ways of doing
it, and value a Salome on her own terms.

During her Oceanic period, Miss Goltz
was apparently being a good deal more
virginal at the outset than she is now. This
shows partly in the inflection of lines — for
within the limits of Straussian declamation
there are many different ways of "reading"
lines — and partly in the quality of voice,
which was lighter and brighter then. Fur-
ther on, the two performances are more a-
like, although she has changed details, and
generally enriched her characterization, in
the interim. In the new set, her voice is
somewhat darker and heavier, with more
coloristic variety, on the whole, but still has
a diamond edge that cuts easily through the
thickest chords in the score. Unfortunately,
though, the process of maturing has also
resulted in an increased tendency to push
up to top tones, which waver, and some-
times lose so much in the way of partials
that they might as well be a shade flat.
But, in spite of this, she is an enormously
vital and intelligent singer, with theatrical
gifts far beyond the ordinary. And in spite
of the extra added resonance of Walburga
Wegner's voice (courtesy of Columbia
Records, Inc. — note the Mammoth Cave
effect when Salome peeks into the cistern
as an especially tasteless example of echo-
chamber faking of effects), she is pretty
small potatoes compared with Miss Goltz
in this role.

One of the finest things about the London
set — and one of the best performances of
its kind on records at all — is Julius Patzak's
Herod. To credit it properly would be to
attempt to describe the inflection of every
phrase, the shading of every word. To place
his performance alongside Laszlo Szemere's
for Columbia is to have at hand an object
lesson in the distinction between a truely
distinguished artist and one who is merely
a very good one; and to match either with
Bernd Aldenhoff (Oceanic) would be unfair.

Of the Jokanaans, my preference is for
Josef Metternich, on Columbia, not be-
cause of his resonating cistern, but because

Continued on page 73

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

The Spoken Word

Better Poe Than Poesy in I954's First Audio Books

J-/AST YEAR wc re-
ported at some length
(July, 1953 issue) on
the ambitious plans of
the Audio Book Com-
pany of Los Angeles,
California, producers of
Talking Books. Using
a seven-inch vinyl disk,
which turns at 162/3
rpm, contains an hour's
playing time and can
be played on a 33 i/3
rpm turntable by using
an adapter which they
also make and sell for
$1.95, it was their in-
tent to reproduce on
records a sizable por-
tion of the world's great

literature, from Shakes- Master of the macabre. Mr. Poe's Te\\-
peare s Sonnets to nov- TaIe Heart jares better than his Raven.
els thick as Moby Dick.

At that time their talking books were mostly in the form of lofty
dreams jointly shared by Mr. Raymond Tierstein and two re-
cording engineers, C. C. McDonald and J. L. D. Morrison. They
had put one complete book on vinyl — a proven bestseller in
print — The New Testament. It was issued in a 26-record album
which sells for $20.00. The New Testament demonstrated equal
sales-prowess in spoken form (over 25,000 copies have been sold)
so it was followed by another calculated non-risk — a series of
albums from The Old Testament.

Branching out this year, but still with caution more typical of
New England than California, the proprietors of Audio Books
have prepared a Fall List of major and minor classics with a some-
thing-for-everyone flavor: four handsomely packaged volumes —
The Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe; Alice in Wonderland;
The Audio Book of Famous Poems; and The Audio Book of Storytime
Favorites. The total listening time for the four books is approx-
imately 13 hours, although each volume can, of course, be pur-
chased separately.

The choice of eight of The Great Tales of Edgar Allen Poe and four
of his poems — The Raven, Annabel Lee, The Bells and Ulalume —
(combined reading time approximately four hours) to be included
in the first non-biblical selections released by Audio Books would
seem to be a wise one. Poe's poems are among the most listenable
in American poetry and the best of his tales effuse a chilling sus-
pense which keeps the listener riveted in his seat until the end.
In addition the tales are almost tailor-made for the half-hour play-
ing time that can be squeezed on each side of the seven-inch records.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, for instance, fits comfortably
on one side of a record and The Fall of the House of Usher on two
sides.

For most complete enjoyment the tales should be approached
with a mind free of the literary debate concerning Poe and his
place in American letters. Whether or not he was America's first
real artist, the molder of the short story, the creator of the detec-
tive story, a genius or merely the forerunner of the slick teller of
tales should be irrelevant when sitting down (preferably on a dark
and stormy night) with these records. It is not even necessary to
know that Poe was a troubled man who took to drink and drug,
although that information does perhaps lend a little to the proper
atmosphere. What the listener should bring to the performance is
a wide-open imagination and a willingness to let the narrator and
Poe lead him down dark and creepy avenues of thought. This
Marvin Miller does with spine-tingling success. As a narrator of
Poe he was an excellent choice, as are the other unnamed voices
that come in from time to time to take the dialog as, for in-
stance, between the teller of the tale and the unfortunate Fortu-
nato in The Cask of Amontillado. Poe, however, a cramped dialog-
ist, does not give them much with which to work. He was best
at narration, and Mr. Miller is no slouch at this himself.

Lamentably, the same cannot be said for his reading of Poe's

poetry. Mr. Miller does not succeed in bringing out the verbal
music on which Poe's imagery depends, and without it there is
little left. The album is still a good buy, however; only one ot
its eight sides was reserved for verse.

The classic Alice in Wonderland is an irresistible choice as a storx
to be told on records, since it originated as a story told rather than
written. As nearly everyone knows, it was told first to a little girl
named Alice Lidded and her two sisters during a picnic on a hoi
July day in 1862. As the picnickers paddled around a lake in *
canoe, one of the paddlers, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, (an Ox-
ford mathematician who published his non-mathematical writings
under the name of Lewis Carroll) invented Alice's underground
adventures to amuse the little girls. He wrote the story down thai
night and later expanded it, but its rambling whimsy is still that of
a told-tale.

Alice's reading time is three hours. Mr. Miller gives a delightful
narration, aided by Jane Webb, a young lady of agreeable voice,
who takes over whenever Alice speaks. As in the Poe album,
other (unidentified) voices come on and offstage with the appear
ance of the White Rabbit, the ugly Duchess, the Mad Hatter, the
March Hare and the rest. The album is recommended for children
from five to 50.

Marvin Miller, the principal narrator for Audio Books, first won
wide acclaim as narrator in the prize-winning animated cartoon.
Gerald McBoing Boing. He did well with the two Testaments pro-
duced by Audio Books, and with Poe's Tales and Alice in Wonder
land. Perhaps it is too much to expect of a reader who has demon
strated such varied ability that he excel also as a reader of poetry
Mr. Miller doesn't, or at least he did not at the time he recorded
The Audio Book of Famous Poems. There are 74 poems by 38 different
poets in this and, as with Poe, they all get the same almost matter-of-
fact reading; Shakespeare, Pope, Milton, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley.
Byron, Whitman are read with a sameness that makes them nearly
indistinguishable. The makers of Audio Books still have a long
way to go before their efforts in poetry meet the standards set by
the poetry now available on conventional long-playing records.

There is very little to be said about The Audio Book of Storytime
Favorites. The collection contains 26 stories that have been told
to children through many generations: Cinderella; Puss in Boots,
The Three Little Pigs; The Gingerbread Boy; and they are pleasantly
told by Jane Webb. Playing time is approximately two hours and
the youngsters should love them. So should parents: properly
doled out, they will take care of 26 bedtimes.

The proficiency of the 16 rpm adapter developed for Audio
Books will surprise those who recall the 33 i/3 adapter devised in
the early days of long-playing records to convert a 78 rpm turntable
into one suitable for LP's. Not that the 16 rpm system and the
seven-inch, 400-grooves-to-the-inch records are by any means per-
fect yet. They are not. Although the records and the adapter seem
essentially workable, there are still some bugs to be worked out.
For instance, there is quite often an odd low warble in the voices
of Mr. Miller, Miss Webb and their troupe. Whether this is a
result of unevenness in the adapter-gear, or flutter in the records
themselves, I do not know. But it does creep in.

Even more annoying, however, were the faulty surfaces on some
of the records received. This may have been unique with these
copies, but it may indicate trouble in pressing 1 /400-inch grooves
At any rate, every now and then the stylus would stick and repeat,
most often just for one or two turns, but occasionally indefinitely,
necessitating a trip to the turntable to nudge the needle on its
way. This was particularly disturbing in the poetry records, which
seemed worse afflicted than the rest. "Gang aft a-gley" will bear
only so much repetition. Roy H. Hoopes, JR.

THE GREAT TALES AND POEMS OF EDGAR ALLEN POE

Audio Book GL 600. Four 7-in. (16 rpm) $4.95-

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Audio Book C 3 00. Three 7-in. $3.95.

THE AUDIO BOOK OF FAMOUS POEMS

Four 7-in. $4.95.

THE AUDIO BOOK OF STORYTIME FAVORITES
Audio Book C 3oi. Two 7-in. $2.95.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

CLASSICAL

Continued from page yi

of the musicality and strength of line of his
singing, although Josef Herrmann (Oceanic)
actually sings the text more meaningfully.
Hans Braun (London) is good enough, but
oot really special except in the possession of
a voice with a big, solid middle. As Narra-
beth, Anton Dermota is — perhaps a little
surprisingly — not notably better than Wal-
demar Kmentt (Columbia), but both are
very good, and far outclass their callow
Dresden-Oceanic competition. None of
the Herodiases is anything much, but Mar-
garete Kenney (London) is best of the lot.

Both London and Columbia sets are
strongly cast in the extensive secondary list,
but the distribution of parts is better in the
London — partly because the presence of
Ludwig Weber to sing the First Nazarene
apparently allowed lesser basses to be pushed
down and shifted around (for many of the
same Viennese singers participate). Mr.
Weber, sad to say, does his bit here with
small distinction. Of the others, Else
SchQrhof, the rather mild witch of the Angel
Hansel und Grelel, settles down to a real
old-time contralto placement as the Page,
and manages to sound — disconcertingly —
more masculine than Narraboth. After
Kurt Bohme as the First Nazarene, the
Oceanic cast falls plunk to a level far below
that of either Vienna set.

Clemens Krauss' conducting for London
is individual in certain contours and certain
details, but is consistent within itself and
altogether impressive — more so than Josef
Keilbertli's clean, sure performance for
Oceanic or Rudolf Morale's rather routine,
but often richly played, performance for
Columbia. Engineering characteristics have
already been described. All told, the Lon-
don Salome is not the unbeatable recording
that might have been hoped for, but it is of
sufficient quality to rate preference even in a
field that includes two very worthy com-
petitors J. H., Jr.

VERDI
Rigoletto

Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto (opera in four acts;
libretro by F. M. Piave after Victor Hugo's
Le Roi s'Amuse). Lina Pagliughi (s), Gilda;
Ines Marietti (s), Countess Ceprano and
A Page; Irma Colsanti (ms), Maddalena;
Tilde Fiorio (ms), Giovanna; Ferruccio
Tagliavini (t), Duke of Mantua; Tommaso
Soley (t), Borsa; Giuseppe Taddei (b),
Rigoletto; Alberto Albertini (b), Marullo;
Mario Giacobini (b), Usher of the Court;
Giulio Neri (bs), Sparafucile; Antonio
Zerbini (bs), Monterone; Mario Zorgniotti
(bs), Count Ceprano. Orchestra of Radio-
televisione Italiana, Turin, and Cetra Chorus;
Angelo Questa, cond.
Cbtra c 1247. Three 12-in. $17.85.

There are a certain few cliches of music re-
viewing that are nearly inescapable. One of
these has to do with Rigoletto, La Traviata,
and // Trovatore. It is almost mandatory to
begin a consideration of any of them by
noting that the three together mark what is
commonly called Verdi's "middle period,"
and to remark yet once again that it certainly
is something for a composer to have created

October, 1954

them within a period of 27 months. Yet
they do constitute a kind of landmark in the
history of opera, separating the Verdi of
Ernani and such from the Verdi of Ole/lo,
and it is awesome to think of the creative
fires that burned in the composer in those
years between March, 1851, and March,
1853.

The new Cetra set occupies a peculiar
place, for while in some ways it is the most
desirable of recorded Rigolettos to be had at
this time, it does fall short not only of the
ideal but of what might reasonably have been
hoped for. It is good, but not good enough
in all respects to recommend without reser-
vation, especially since there is a London
set somewhere in the making that may turn
out to be interesting.

The trouble with choosing among the
exisring versions of Rigoletto is rhat none is
completely satisfactory, and that those with
the truest artistic values are otherwise
marginal cases. Actually, the two LP
Rigoletto performances of greatest distinction
are the Columbia Entrl and the Urania,
but the first is decidedly low-fi and the other
is sung in German.

For a long time now the RCA Victor
Rigoletto has held pride of place among re-
corded versions, and although it is a long
way from perfection it does have singers of
quality in the three main roles, and it still
sounds as ripely resonant as ever. A really
well-conducted, consistently well-sung Itali-
an performance could ropple it, but the
best the Cetra set can get is a draw.

Of the two Rigolettos, Giuseppe Taddei
is a good deal more interesting dramatically.
But Rigoletto is perhaps Leonard Warren's
best role, and although his characterization
may seem more carefully planned than vital,
and some of his dynamic observances verge
on affectation, he does sing it with controlled
power, fine tone, and a big, ringing top.

Both Gildas are very superior artists, but
Lina Pagliughi is surer of her phrasing in
Italian than is Erna Berger (she should be;
she has been singing Gilda in Italian at
least since the old, old, Victor 78 set con-
ducted by Carlo Sabajno), and for the most
part her voice sounds as pure and malleable
as ever. As the Duke, Ferruccio Tagliavini
is not in his most attractive voice, while
Jan Peerce gives perhaps his best tecorded
performance in the Victor set. For those
who are interested, it ought to be noted that
the Cetra set includes the Duke's third-act
cabaletta, acceptably sung. In the lesser roles
both sets fall below standards acceptable fot
first-class opera houses, and although the
Cetra second line has at least the advantage
of being all-Italian they are a pretty ragged-
sounding bunch, especially in ensembles.
Nor is either set notably well conducted.
Renato Cellini gets a clean performance, at
whippet-like tempos, from the RCA players,
and Angelo Questa gets a decent but in no
way exceptional performance, at more rea-
sonable and idiomatic tempos, from the
Turin players. Rigoletto deserves better.
Both sets are well recorded, the Victor with
full-ripe resonance, the Cetra with clean,
live presence and some (not invariably suc-
cessful) attempt at theatrical illusion. As a
matter of personal choice, I prefer the kind
of performance given by Mr. Taddei and
Miss Pagliughi as being more apposite to
the opera Verdi wrote, but wouldn't fight
about it. I. H., Jr.

YSAYE

Sonata Jor Violin alone, in E, Op. 27,
No. 3 — see Beethoven.

COLLECTIONS AND
MISCELLANY

RAPHAEL ARIE
Russian Songs

Moussotgsky: Tie Song of lie Flea; Tie
Seminarist. Glinka: Tie Midnight Review;
Doubt. GretchaninofT: Deati. Lishin: She
Laugied.

Raphael Arie (bs). Wilfred Parry, piano.
London ld 9103. 10-in. $2.95.

Rachmaninoff: Fate. Rimsky-Korsakoff:
Tie Prophet. Koenemann: When the King
Went Forti to War; (arr.) Song of tie Volga
Boatmen.

Raphael Arie (bs). London Symphony;
Anatole Fistoulari, cond.; and Wilfred Parry,
piano (in Fate).

London ld 9101. 10-in. $2.9;.

Raphael Arie is a respectable singer but not
quite the sott of personality to stir up en-
thusiasm no matter what the music, so both
of these disks deserve to be assessed in
terms of the out-of-otdinary repertoire they
ptesent. On this basis, both ate probably
worth owning, but by any ordinary standards
the firsr is more worth owning. After all,
Moussorgsky's flea song is a common, not
to say batteted, recital coin, and Glinka's
Tie Midnight Review is only less so; and
although Mt. Atie sings both acceptably
he sheds no special artistic glow on eithet,
ot any of the othets. But Tie Seminarist is
something very like a great song; Doubt and
Deati ate, in their disparate ways, good ones;
and Sie Laugied at least illustrates the
proprieties of harmony as taught by Rimsky-
Korsakoff. Of the songs on the second disk,
Fate is a characteristically superior Rach-
maninoff setting, and Tie Prophet has a
certain sweep about it; but Koenemann can
crawl back into the encyclopedia and stay
thete. Broad, reliable vocal performances,
with routine accompaniments. Engineering:
typical in kind but otherwise nor remarkable.
No texts, but rather helpful notes. J. H., Jt.

MAURICE CHEVALIER

Paris je t'aime; Paris it ses 2000 ans; La
Ciasse; J'ai fixe" mon coeur; Trinque,
Trinque; A la Francaise; Mais qui est-ct?
Moi, fai garde"; Ai, si vous saviez; Peut-
(ire; Peintre en bailment; line canne et une
easqiiette

(With Orchestra)

Columbia cl 568. 12-in. 34 min. $3.95.

The perennially yourhful Chevalier, he of
the straw hat and underslung lip, is back
with a batch of 12 songs, most of them new,
which fit his personality and style like the
proverbial glove. Excepr for Paris je t'aime
and Paris a ses 2000 ans, both typical of
his jeun premier days, the remainder are a
nice mixture of double entendre (La Ciasse
and Petit-(tre), advice (Ai, si vous saviez),
philosophy {Moi, fai gardf) and some vastly
amusing satiric songs. And through it all
one gets the impression that Chevalier is
as amused as he is amusing. It is all iris
soignl.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Sound is no better than fair. There'are
extensive liner notes, and English lyrics
are supplied, but these are of little help
when trying to follow the Chevalier argot,
which is not always pure Parisian. J. F. I.

GLOCKENSPIELS, TRAPS AND
PLENTY OF PIPES

Leon Berry at the organ of the Hub,
Chicago.

Replica 33x501. 10-in. 23 min.

The kaleidoscopic sound of the modern
theater-organ is reproduced with startling
realism on this beautifully engineered record.
The program, varied enough to please all
tastes, is designed chiefly to exploit the
organ's uncanny ability to simulate the
tones of several instruments. English horn,
flute, trumpet, growling trombone are all
present, plus the more esoteric sounds of
glockenspiel, Chinese block, Castanet and
xylophone, plus a regular battery of per-
cussion. Nowhere is there any sign of over-
lapping tones, and throughout the sound is
crisp and well denned. J. F. I.

THE GOLDEN APPLE

The Golden Apple: Excerpts from the musi-
cal play, book and lyrics by John La-
Touche, music by Jerome Moross (some
orchestrations by Hershey Kay):

Cast of Phoenix Theatre production:
Priscilla Gillette; Stephen Douglass; Kaye
Ballard ; Jack Whiting; Bibi Osterwald ;
Portia Nelson; Martha Larrimore; Geral-
dine Viti. Musical director: Hugh Ross.
RCA Victor LOC-1014. 12-in. S5.95.

Any way you look at it or listen to it, The
Golden Apple is a refreshing anomaly of
popular musical theater. It is consciously —
self-consciously — an attempt to find a
new direction, but almost anyone who cares
for show music will find in it things that
appeal to him, while many who habitually
listen down their noses to tunes from Broad-
way will find it more stimulating than they
expect. Its total stage effect is exceptionally
difficult to capture on records, but the best
part of the score is here, quite well repro-
duced.

Written and composed under sponsorship
of the Guggenheim Foundation, The Golden
Apple was turned down by numerous pros-
pective angels before finally being staged
off-Broadway, in the Phoenix Theatre. It
got good, respectful notices, but hardly
unqualified raves; then it caught on, moved
uptown, and ended by winning the New
York Drama Critics Circle award as best
musical of the 1953-54 season, before falling
victim to the summer heat.

Although it is called, like most plotted
musicals nowadays, "a musical play," The
Golden Apple has no spoken lines at all, and
its book (unlike that of, say, South Pacific)
is impossible to imagine as a legitimate play.
All of the exposition is accomplished in
song, except for that concerned with one
major role that is entirely danced and
mimed. LaTouche's own characterization
of it is "a series of interlocking production
numbers."

The story materials and the treatment of
them may not charm everyone. What
LaTouche has done is take as a framework

the stories of the Iliad and Odyssey and build
up an elaborate parallel fable of doings in
the state of Washington around the turn of
the century. The combination of Homer
with contemporary spice on the musical
stage is certainly a well-tested one, but in
The Golden Apple the parallelism is some-
times relentlessly pursued, sometimes vir-
tually forgotten in favor of topical (and not
infrequently anachronistic) verbal and musi-
cal conceits. The book and lyrics are always
intelligent and often keenly witty, occasion-
ally genuinely moving, but the elaboration
is sometimes just stickily Intellectual with
a capital "I."

But if the allusive, convoluted plotting
and side-commenting is sometimes more
trouble than it is really worth — especially
on records, where the role of Paris, danced
so charmingly and explicitly on the stage by
Jonathan Lucas, has to be imagined — the
score is largely crisp, imaginative, and full
of astringent charm. Few show scores at all
have such individual, sharply-defined musi-
cal personalities, and although on the record
much of the interlocking is supplied by
out-of-character narration by Jack Whiting,
the best numbers — like Going Home To-
gether, The Judgement of Paris, (even without

RcA VICTOR has been reproved, ever
and again, for being laggardly in its atten-
tion to the needs of the advanced or "high-
fidelity" listener. It is axiomatic that giants
move slowly. Once in motion, however,
they often do things in a big way, and RCA
Victor did so — twice in one week, as
September began.

The first contribution of the Victor en-
gineers was what some one in the advertising
department chose to call "Gruve-Gard".
(What was wrong with Groove-Guard?)
It is best described as a palliative pointing
the way to a solution of one of all LP-
buyers' worst problems — the record that
comes scratched by grit in its envelope,
or is later scratched by grit between records
on a changer. Victor's expedient (which
the company promptly made available at
no charge to the whole industry) is a raised
lead-in edge and a raised collar around the
label. In the envelope or in a stack with
other records, the raised portions keep the
precious grooved surfaces from harmful
contact — most of the time.

The protective raised areas aren't raised

Leonard Warren as Tonio in I Pagliacci —
his duel with Tibbett is slightly fixed.

Mr. Lucas), and, of course, Jaye Ballard's
superheated Lazy Afternoon — stand up very
well indeed; and so do the revue lampoons
of the second act, especially Calypso and Bibi
Osterwald's wonderful Goona-Goona. All
told, good representation of an unusual, and
unusually fine, musical. Engineering:
Clean, resonant, roomy-studio sound. Re-
commended. J. H., Jr.

THE CIMBALOM

Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. S; Rou-
manian Rhapsody; Traditional Czardas
Group.

Dick Marta, cimbalom.
Cook io32. 10-in. $4.00.

THE ZITHER

The Happy Dancing Rose; Greensleeves; Two
Little Stars; Deep Down in the Valley (Da
unten im Thale) (arr. Brahms) ; Barbara
Allen; The River Seine; September Song.
Ruth Welcome, zither.

If it was the purpose of Sounds of our Times
to reproduce faithfully the sound of the
zither and Hungarian cimbalom, this little
disk is a success, for the sounds of the two

quite enough for perfect protection. In
shipment the cardboard jacket probably
will touch the grooves here and there. Per-
haps RCA Victor's compromise derived
from concern for people with record-
changers, since an automatic arm would
have trouble with a lead-in rim any thicker
than the one they have contrived (which
we tried on a Garrard RC-80 — worked
fine!). Or perhaps there were warpage-prob-
lems, occasioned by the unequal cooling of
the different thicknesses of vinyl. All such
problems will no doubt be solved, in due
time, and the noisy groove-gouge will be
a thing of the past.

RCA Victor's second contribution is a
1 2-inch LP record entitled (in flattering
imitation) Hearing is Believing, which re-
produces old and new recordings of the
same musical selections, in quick succession
and startling contrast. The record is a
straight promotion-piece, aimed at showing
people the difference between "good old"
recording and high fidelity. The company
put it on the market at a flat $1 price, and
at the time of issuance there were 100,000
advance orders. Despite the jacket-chat
about "New Orthophonic" sound, the net
effect is bound to be a public awakening
to the fact that all makes of records are
drastically better than any ever were before.

In view of the industry-wide benefit of
this Victor effort, it is perhaps churlish
to point out that the record is phonied-up
a little. The old Whiteman Rhapsody in
Blue was better than it is made to sound
here, in contrast with a new Hugo Winter-
halter version, and Lawrence Tibbett's
Pagliacci prologue much better than its
reproduction as foil for a new Leonard
Warren rendition (which, in fact, sounds a
little echo-chambery). However, the point
is made, and well, and it will do us all
some good.

High Fidelity Magazine

RCA Victor Gets in the Gruve . . .

www.americanradiohistorv.com

K£t:t3HI>5

Central European instruments come through
with fine naturalness. The side devoted to
the cimbalom goes even farther; it offers
music well suited to this medium, per-
formed in idiomatic and spirited fashion by
a man who knows what he's about. The
zither side is another matter, however.
Items like September Song, Greensleeves and
Barbara Allen are hardly the proper fare for
this instrument. Besides, Miss Welcome
does far too much sliding from note to
note for my taste. Taken as a whole, this
disk contributes little except some harm-
less background music for cocktails, con-
versation or goulash. P. A.

FRENCH KEYBOARD MASTERS

Couperin: Le dodo ou lamour au berceaus;
Les barricades misterieuses; Les fauvite;
Plaintives; Les ombres errantes; Le tic toe
choc ou les maillotins. Rameau: L'entretien
des muses; Les sauvages; Les tendres plaintes;
Le rappel des oiseaux; Les Cyclopes. Ravel:
Le Tombeau de Couperin. Debussy: ilom-
mage J Rameau.

Marcel Meyer, piano.

Haydn Society hsl-98. 12-in. 14, 15,
22, 6 min. $5.95.

The juxtaposition of these four composers
on one disk makes comparison a convenient
matter. Couperin and Rameau, the eighteen-
th-century pair, would be better served with
harpsichord performances, in which the
registrational effects would give vital color
and richness to their music. But the piano
is a satisfactory enough medium and, in a
way, illuminates the difference between the
two composers: Couperin's preoccupation
is with melodies and their elaboration,
Rameau's with harmony and rhythm.

As to Ravel and Debussy, the latter is not
adequately represented by the brief Htm mage,
but the planner of this record was quite
reasonably enticed into including these
tributes to their illustrious forbears. The
annotator on the record jacket has an en-
joyable time toying with the idea that
Ravel is closer to Rameau and Debussy to
Couperin, instead of vice versa as indicated
by the titles.

Miss Meyer, a clean, energetic pianist,
plays with a slight hardness characteristic
of many French artists. The crispness of her
touch in Couperin and Rameau is carried
over into the twentieth-century works, help-
ing to relate the new to the old. In fact,
her delicate, relatively slow performance of
the Toccata from the Ravel suite is the best
I know on LP. Intimate, clean sound. R. E.

FRENCH MASTERS OF THE HARPSI-
CHORD (17th- 1 8th centuries)

D'Anglebert: Allemande; Gavotte; Menuet;
Chaconne. D'Andrieu: Le Ramage; Les
Amours; L'llymen. Rameau: L'Entretien des
Muses. Couperin, Louis: Chaconne. Cham-
bonnieres: Allemande la Rare; Courante; Sara-
bande. D'Aquin: Musette et Tambourin; Les
Bergeres. Couperin, Francois: Les Roseaux;
Les Petits Moulins i Vent.

I sa belle Net, harpsichord.

L'Oiseau-Lyre ol 50028. 12-in. 47 min.

*5-95-

Miss Nef's repertoire here neatly reflects the
period from Chambonnieres, generally con-
sidered the founder of the French harpsi-

OCTOBER, 1954

chord school, to Francois Couperin, its
greatest exponent — roughly from the mid-
dle of the seventeenth to the middle of the
eighteenth century All have interest, but
the late works, particularly those by D'Aquin,
Rameau, and Francois Couperin, are lovely
as well.

Sturdy rhythms are still the outstanding
virtue of Miss Nef's performances. Her tem-
pos and registration are reasonable, never
virtuosic, individual, nor highly sensitive.
The harpsichord tone is well reproduced.

A chronological arrangement of the music
would have been preferable to the haphazard
one here, but L'Oiseau-Lyre really merits
censure for the bad labeling on side 2.
Chambonnieres' Allemande la Rare is in-
correctly and confusingly listed as Alle-
mande, La Rare, as if it were two pieces,
and whereas each work on side 1 has its
own band, rhe three Chambonnieres pieces
on side 2 are confined to one band, without
any indication on the label as to the switch
in procedure. R. E.

LYNNWOOD FARNAM ORGAN RE-
CITAL

Bach: Variations on "0 Gall, du frommer
Gott." Handel: Concerto for Organ in F
Major, Op. 4, No. j; Menuet from Concerto
in B Flat Major, Op. 7, No. 3. Karg-Elert:
The Mirrored Moon. Sowerby: Carillon in
A Flat. Vierne: Carillon de Westminster.

Lynnwood Farnam. organ.

Classic ce 1040. 12-in. 9, 8, 4, 6, 6,

6 min. $5.95.

Lynnwood Farnam's name is legendary
among musicians at all interested in organ
music. Born in Canada, he studied in Lon-
don, returning to serve successively in
churches in Montreal, Boston, and New
York until his death in 1930 at the age of
45. Through his recitals and teaching he
left behind a unique reputation among
American organists for his rare combination
of virtuosity and musicianship and his
fanatical devotion to perfecting his art.

In the year he died Farnam recorded the
above six works on a remarkable player
mechanism — a complex version of the
piano roll that could reproduce a perform-
ance on a three-manual organ, including all
changes in registration. They were, unfortu-
nately, the only known recordings of any
kind that he made.

The organ used in 1930 was a small, three-
manual residence organ belonging to the
late John T. Austin, one of the founders of
the Austin Organ Company. For the
present record, the player mechanism was
removed from the original instrument, re-
novated, and installed temporarily in the
organ at St. John's Church, Hartford, Conn.,
where Clarence Watters is organist. Familiar
with Farnam's style, Mr. Watters reregistered
the performances in terms of his own instru-
ment as he believed Farnam would have.

All this trouble is worthwhile if only to
satisfy modern curiosity about Farnam's
style and ability, and the record would be
intriguing if only to hear the lifelike effect
the mechanism can create in its exact re-
production of note values. The performances
themselves are distinguished, without seem-
ing exceptional in this age of musically
minded organ virtuosos. Farnam's tech-
nique was certainly outstanding, judging
by this disk. His version of the Bach varia-

tions is livelier and more personal than, say,
Finn Vider0's, and it has some of the ruba-
tos that have gone out of fashion in playing
baroque music. But the Bach performance
is nevertheless persuasive, full of vitality
and love and carefully phrased. The fine
Handel works have a wonderfully sober
gaiety, and the other three pieces, highly
pictorial, are played with brilliance and taste.
In its clarity and presence the sound is
excellent, as it usually is from Classic. R. E.

NICOLAI GEDDA
Opera Recital

Tchaikovsky: Eugen Onegin; Lenski's aria.
Massenet: Werther: Pourquoi me riveiller?
Bizet: Les Pecheurs de Perles: Je crois entendre
encore. Massenet: Manon: En fermant les
yeux. Auber: La Muette de Portici: Dupauvre
seul ami fidele. Gounod: Romio et Juliette:
Ah! Levetoi soleil. Ponchielli: La Gioconda:
Cielo e mar. Verdi: Rigolelto: Parmi veder le
lagrime. Flotow: Martha: Ach, so fromm
(i.e. — M'appari). Donizetti: L'Elisir
dAmore: Una furliva lagrima. Donizetti:
La Favorita: Spirito gentil. Cilea: L'Arlesiana:
E la solita storia.

Nicolai Gedda (t). Philharmonia Orches-
tra, Alceo Galliera, cond.
Angel 35096. 12-in. $5.95 (factory sealed);
$4.95 (thrift pack).

Churlish though it may be to say so, this
record is more likely to make money than
artistic reputations. It may very well bring
in the dollars from people who have ad-
mired Nicolai Gedda as a Lehar operetta
singer and who have learned to trust the
Angel on the label. Otherwise, it has pre-
cious little excuse for existing, and its re-
lease does no one credit. All it proves is
that Mr. Gedda is still unformed as an
artist. His singing, simply as singing, is
promising. But he has neither enough
technical polish nor operatic sophistication
really to project any of these arias completely,
all the way through. Accompaniments: all
right. Engineering: excellent. Not recom-
mended. J. H.,Jr.

KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN SONGS

Traditional songs and ballads and dulci-
mer music from the Kentucky mountain
country: Cedar Swamp; Noltamun Town;
The Hangman Song; Sister Phoebe; False Sir
hhn. Dulcimer pieces: Shady Grove; Old
King Cole; Skip to My Lou; Bachelor's Hall;
The Girl I Left Behind Me; Jemmy Taylor-0:
Killy Kranky; The Lonesome Dove; Old
Woman and Pig; The Little Sparrow; Gain
to Boston.

Jean Ritchie, singer with guitar and dul-
cimer player.

Elektra ELK-25. 10-in. $4.45.

Jean Ritchie is a fine singer from a famous
singing family. Something over 40 years
ago, the great British folk-song scholar
Cecil Sharp wrote pessimistically that "The
English ballad is moribund; its account is
well-nigh closed." What he meant was that,
with increasing industrialization in England
and Scotland, nobody really sang and handed
down the old songs any more. Then, less
than 10 years later, he found in our Southern
mountains a living tradition of folk songs

Continued on page 78

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ARTUROTOSCANINI

A. 'Offenbach : Gaite Parisienne. Mey-
erbeer : l.es Pat incurs. Host an Pops,
Fiedler. Long Play, $5.95

B. *M r. St rauss Comes to B»«M»n
Host on Pops, Fiedler. Long Play, $5.95

C. 'Berlioz: Damnation of Faust . Has.
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D. *K. Slrauss: Salome: Danr.- .if ihe
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e. *Kichard Slrauss in lligli Fidelity:
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f. *Cbopin: Piano Conrerto No. 1.
Rubinstein: Los Angeles Phil.. Hal-
fensrein. Long Play, $5.95; "45 EP\
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c. *Moussorgsky: A Night on [tare
Mountain. Prelude. Danre of the Per-
sian Maidens, Entr'acte (Khovant-
cliina). Gliere: Russian Sailors' Dai ire.
Himsky - Korsakoff: Russian taster
Overture. Itororlin: In the Steppes of
Central Asia. Stokowski and his
Symph. Orch. Long Play, $5.95
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Symph., Tosranini. Long Play, $17.85
t. *Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Ex-
hibition. Franck: Psyche and F.ms.
NBC Symph., Toscanini. Long Play,
$5.95

J. Toscanini Conducts Wagner. NHC
Symph., Toscanini. Long Plav, $11.90
K. *ScJiubert: Symphony No. 9. NBC
Symph.. Toscanini. Long Play, $6.95
L. *Toscanini Plays Your Favorites.
MIC Symph., Toscanini.. Long Play,
$5.95

M. *The Great Music Themes of Tele-
vision. Hugo U'interhatter's Orch.
Long Play, $4.19

N. The Ballet, lloston Pops, Fiedler;
Stokowski and his Symph. Orch., Tos-
canini. MIC Symph.; lloston Symph..
Munch; Members of the lloston
Symph., Montenx. Long Play, $19.95
o. *With Love From a Chorus. Rob-
ert Shaw Chorale, Shaiv. Long Play
$5.95

P. *An Adventure in High Fidelity.
Members of MIC Symph., Bennett.
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*"FJew Ortliophonic" High Fidelity
Prices shown suggested list, incl. Fed.
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EXCLUSIVE RAISED
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rca Victor

FIRST IN RECORDED MUSIC

Protects on the player when records
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dle * Protects grooves in and out of
sleeves. You'll recognize Gruve/Gard
by the raised rims and center on Long
Play . . . raised centers on "45V and
"45 EP's"

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

MISCELLANY

Continued from page j$

and folk singing. He heard old songs and
songs he had nevec known existed, and ic is
actually only through performances noted
in this country that the tunes of many of
the ballads in the great Child collection are
known at all. One of the families Sharp
heard was the Ritchie family — Balus and
Abbie Ritchie and their i3 children. This is
Jean Ritchie's family. Once the singing
Ritchies had been, so to speak, "discovered,"
scholars and song collectors almost literally
beat a path to their doors, and after Jean
Ritchie got out of college she came to New
York to teach and sing; she has pretty
much made a career of singing the music
she grew up with, and this is her second
recording for Elektra.

It is just as fine as the first. There may be a
question in some minds as to just how un-
touched by outside musics and ways of
speaking a singer can remain who has
travelled so much and been thrown in social
contact with so many different kinds of
people. For purposes of enjoyment, the
question isn't really very relevant; and, in
Miss Ritchie s case, scholarly authenticity
is hardly in question at all. Any kind of folk
singing, real folk singing, is passed down by
oral tradition. No two singers ever do sing
exactly the same way, anyhow. So long as
there isn't any surreptitious slicking up of
traditional songs you can't really legitimately
take any folk singer to task for doing them
his way; the only valid question is how well
he does them. However, Miss Ritchie is
tradition-conscious and bent on reproduc-
ing as nearly as possible the way her songs
were done by the folks she heard when she
was a little girl. This is all to the good so
long as it doesn't constrain her, which it
doesn't seem to do at all.

To a more easterly southern ear, she
sounds not to have changed much this side
of Kentucky, and she is a fine artist — for
folk singing is no less a high art out of its
home territory than in it, and the Ritchie
family didn't win the ears of their neighbors
around Viper, Kentucky, just by being na-
tural and unspoiled. Jean's voice is a light
one, very pretty on some notes, just useful
most of the time. What she has, though —
most exceptionally — is a hairline-accurate
ear and a really marvellous gift for phrasing
plastically and meaningfully within a steady
rhythmic frame. She is certainly natural and
authentic, but singing anything so well
has to be called art. She is a real
charmer in family variants of old songs,
and she is also a very good pick player of
the dulcimer. There are both notes and full
texts, and the record itself is protected by a
strong little plastic inner envelope. Engineer-
ing: intimate, lifelike, with especially good
surfaces. Very highly recommended as
scholarship or art or entertainment or all
three. J. H., Jr.

A MUSIC BOX OF HYMNS

Willie Thomas Jones conducting the
Vanguard Chorale; Music Boxes from the
Bornand Collection.

Vanguard vRs-450. 12-in. 51min.S5.95.

As the blurb on the jacket indicates, "in-
cluded in this recording are all the old

favorites — Come Thou Almighty King, Just
As I Am, He Leadeth Me, Beautiful Saviour —
and many others which have brought com-
fort and joy to millions."

The music boxes are indeed remarkable,
but the choral singing leaves something to
be desired. D. R.

MUSIC MINUS ONE

Recorder Playing: Soprano Recorder.
(With Score and Instructions for Soprano
Recorder). Erich Katz, La Noue Daven-
port.

Classic Editions cf mmo 202. 1 2-in.
$5.95 plus $2.50 for score. $8.50 for Re-
corder. Set $16.95.

For prospective recorder players, this will
provide a sweetened way to learn the rudi-
ments. It progresses in easily mastered
steps, while enabling the player to practice
what he has learned by playing simple

Baritone Gerard Souzay. His biography may
get tiresome, but his singing never does.

works in accompaniment with the record.
The nicely diversified selections chosen are
edited by the musical director of the (Ameri-
can) Recorder Society.

Of course, for someone who is seriously
interested in learning to play the recorder,
there is no alternative to sitting down and
learning the fingering and technique, but
the record may serve as an enticement.

The Music Minus One series is a boon to
amateurs who are not likely to have the
opportunity of playing with chamber or
orchestral groups, but it does definitely
limit the individual in freedom of expres-
sion and interpretation. Joan Hei.i.er

A DAVID OISTRAKH RECITAL

Prokofieff: Cinderella — Five Excerpts
(arr. Fichtenholz). Rachmaninoff: Vo-
calise. Tchaikovsky: Waltz-Scherzo, Op. 34;
Meditation, Op. 42. Brahms: Hungarian
Dances Nos. 9, 8 and 5 (arr. Joachim).
Glazounoff: Meditation, Op. 32. Khacha-
turian: Chanson Poime; Dance in B Major.
David Oistrakh, violin; Vladimir Yam-
polsky and I. Kollegorskaya, piano.
Vanguard vrs 6020. 12-in. $5.95.

David Oistrakh, the phenomenal Russian
violin virtuoso, has been receiving better

treatment from the recording engineers
during recent months. With the exception
of occasional distortion — notably in the
Rachmaninoff Vocalise — his tone emerges
on this disk with considerable naturalness
and glow. Most of the pieces in the present
collection are of the encore variety, but all
are interpreted with loving care. Most
interesting are the five excerpts from Pro-
kofiefFs ballet Cinderella — Waltz, Winter
Fairy, Gavotte, Passepied and Mazurka —
and the lilting Tchaikovsky Waltz-Scherzo.

P. A.

OLD FRENCH AIRS

Old French Airs: Couperin: Chanson
Louis Kill (17th century). Pierre Guedron:
Cette Anne si belle (161 5). Anonymous:
Tambourin (18th century; coll. Julien
Tiersot). Antoine Boesset: Me veux-tu
mourir? (ca. 1620; arr. Germaine Taille-
ferre); Cachez, beaux yeux (161 5; arr. Arne
Dorumsgaard). Anonymous: Ma bengere
non legere (161 3; coll. Gabriel Bataille).
Anonymous: Noel Auxois (17th century;
coll. Charles Masson; arr. Maurice Em-
manuel). Anonymous: Brezairola (arr.
Joseph Cantaloube). Anonymous: Ma-
lurous quo uno fenno (arr. Joseph Canta-
loube).

Gerard Souzay (b). Jacqueline Bonneau'
piano.

London LD9109. 10-in. $2.95.

This little disk is a real treasure for those
who respond to the charms of archaic and
off-the-trodden-path musics like these- —
pre-baroque court airs and traditional songs
of the kind collected in the Auvergne by
Joseph Cantaloube. All those included are
of the very loveliest, and they are sung with
exquisite taste and natural grace — without
affectation, and totally without the gloomy
dedication that lays a pall on so many per-
formances of old music. In view of Jacque-
line Bonneau's sensitive playing, it may be
ungrateful to say so, but it would be
marvellously inspiriting to be able to look
forward to many more explorations by
Gerard Souzay of the rich stores from which
these few songs are drawn, but with the
accompaniment lines (especially those for
lute) realized by some instrument less in-
trusive than a modern piano. Absolute
musicological authenticity might not ever
be achieved, but justice of timbre and
balance might very well be, and without
smothering the music itself under scholar-
ship. No texts, and notes that might be
much clearer if more space were given to
them and less to the long, ubiquitous
biography of Mr. Souzay. I, for one, have
it practically memorized by now, and
would much rather have the space occupied
by the words of songs. Engineering: clear
and intimate — too intimate so far as the
piano is concerned. All told, special but
delightful. J. H., Jr.

A PARIS

A Paris; Toi, tu ne resembles A personne;
Bal, petit bal; Tous les mots; D'amour et
d'eau fraiche; Les routiers; L'He St. Louis;
Les forains; La chanson de scaphandrier.

Eric Amado, baritone; Michele Arnaud,
soprano; Aime Doniat, baritone; Miche-

Continued on page So
High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

JOSEPH LEVINE conducting th«

on CAPITOL RECORDS
in Full Dimensional Sound

JOSEPH H. KITCHIN Cedar Rapids Gazette
"Trained and perfected in their art, these players present
the music as the foundation of the dance rather than as a
concert performance. Even through the phonograph
speaker, the poetry and drama of motion are clearly de-
fined in these recordings."

MAXINE CUSHING GRAY

Seattle Post Intelligencer
"Definitive performances of Cho-
pin's 'Les Sylphides,' which re-
stores the poetry sometimes
mislaid by touring companies . . .
'Princess Aurora'. . . sweeping and
grandiose . . ."

CHOPIN: Lei Sylphides

TCHAIKOVSKY: Princess Aurora P-8193

ANTHONY LEWIS

Washington News

"Two of the best modern ballet
scores are given crisp, accented
performances and top hi-fi record-
ing."

< Billy the Kid

AARON COPLAND: Billy The Kid
WILLIAM SCHUMAN: Undertow

P-823B

flMli.r

Incomparable High Fidelity
in Full Dimensional Sound

Commemorating
Ballet Theatre's
Fifteenth Anniversary

ANTHEIL: Copltol of the World

(Solo Donee by Roy Fitzell)
BANFIELD: The Combot P-8278

OFFENBACH: Suite from Bluebeord

Suite from Helen of Troy P-B277

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

Dialing Your Disks

Records are made with the treble range
boosted to mask surface noise, and the bass
range reduced in volume to conserve groove
space and reduce distortion. When the
records are played, therefore, treble must be

reduced and bass increased to restore the
original balance. Control positions on
equalizers are identified in different ways,
but equivalent markings are listed at the
top of each column in the table below. This
table covers most of the records sold in
America during the past few years, with the
emphasis on LP. Some older LPs and 78s

required 800-cycle turnover; some foreign
78s are recorded with 300-cycle turnover
and zero or 5-db treble boost. One-knob
equalizers should be set for proper turnover,
and the treble tone control used for further
correction if required. In all cases, the pro-
per settings of controls are those that
sound best

MISCELLANY

Continued from page 78

lene Dax, soprano; Remi Clary, tenor.
Orchestra, M. Philippe- Gerard, cond.
Vanguard vrs 7017. 10-in. 25 min,
$4.00.

An agreeable sampling of French popular
songs which were the vogue in Paris about
two years ago. The melodies are all attrac-
tive, the singing is mercifully free of the
vocal affectations that American "pop"
singers find so necessary, and the recording
is excellent. Except for Bal, petit bal which
was interpolated in New Faces of 1952,
the songs will be unknown to most people,
though this should be no deterrent. J. F. I.

PARISIAN SONGS OF THE SIX-
TEENTH CENTURY

(Composers: Sermisy, Passereau, Jane-

quin, Certon, Hesdin, Gardane, Sandrin,

Nicolas, Rore, Costely, Goudimel, Le

Jeune, Boni, Bonnet)

Vocal Ensemble, Fernand Lamy, cond.

L'oiseaU-Lyre 50027. 12-in. 49:20 min.

$5-95-

From the very opening grooves of this re-
cording, it is apparent that this chorus
and its conductor know what they are
about. One will not find here any evidence
of "slick" vocalism nor of the seeking after
effects. These performances are completely
apposite to the music being sung; this
chorus has style.

The music — 21 pieces by 14 composers
— is lovely, and certainly unusual. In view
of the high quality of the music, the per-
formance, and the recording, it is a pity chat
London could not (or did not) go one step
further, and supply the texts. The jacket
notes contain brief biographical sketches
of the composers, but one must listen to
all 21 selections without either the original
French texts, or the translations. D. R.

PIANO — THE ROMANTIC FABRIC

Chopin: Fantasie in F Minor, Granados:
The Maiden and the Nightingale. Liszt:
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12. Scriabin:
Nocturne for the Left Hand Alone, Op. 9,
No. 2.

Samuel Sorin, piano.

Cook Sounds of Our Times 1038.
10-in. 11,6, 9, 6 min. $4.

In its customary way, Cook has reproduced
with 100-percent realism the sound of a
piano. I am tempted to say that a piano
never sounds this good in concert; it is true
that concert performances on the piano are
rarely heard under such advantageous cir-
cumstances, in this ideal state of maximum
resonance without blur. Mr. Sorin gives a
Continued on page 82

High Fidelity Magazine

TURNOVER

ROLLOFFAT 10KC.

400

5OO
RCA

5OO (MOD.)

10.5-13.5 db

NARTB

16 db

ORTHO

RCA

NAB (old)

NAB

COL

ORTHO

COL

NARTB

ORIG. LP

RIAA

Record Label

AES (.Old)

AES (new)

LON

ORIG. LP

Allied

•

Angel

•

Atlantic*1

•

Amer. Rec. Soc. *

•

Bartok

•

Blue Note Jazz*

•

Boston*

•

Caedlnon

•

Canyon*

•

Capitol*

•

Capitol-Cetra

•

Cetra-Soria

•

Colosseum*

•

Columbia*

•

Concert Hall*

•

Contemporary*

•

Cook (SOOT)'

•

Decca*

•

EMS*

•

blektra

•

Epic*

•

Esoteric

•

I-'olkways (most)

•

Good-Time Jazz*

•

Haydn Soc*

•

L'Oiseau-Lyre*

•

London*

•

Lyrichord, new*2

•

Mercury *

•

MGM

•

Oceanic *

•

Pacific Jazz

•

Philharmonia*

•

Polymusic*1

•

RCA Victor

•

Remington*

•

Riverside

•

Romany

•

Savoy

•

Tempo

•

Urania, most*

•

Urania, some

•

Vanguard*

•

Bach Guild*

•

Vox*

•

Walden

•

Westminster

•

'Beginning sometime in 1954, records made from new masters require RIAA equalization for both
bass and treble.

'Binaural records produced on this label are recorded to NARTB standards on the outside band.
On the inside band, NARTB is used for low frequencies but the treble is recorded flat, without pre-
emphasis.

"Some older releases used the old Columbia curve, others old AES.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RELEASES

GREATEST

October. 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

MISCELLANY

Continued from page So

youthfully dashing performance of the
Chopin Fantasie, and the Granados is lyrical
without being as silken as possible. With
his splendid technique and careful observ-
ance of markings in the Liszt rhapsody, he
creates real excitement, and in the tricky
Scriabin etude, one hand ably does the work
of two. Performances that are note perfect
and musically promising. R. E.

POEMS AND SONGS OF THE SEA

Oscar Brand, baritone; Bill Forrest,
reader.

Audio Masterpieces lpa i 220. 1 2-in.
41 min. $5.95-

With side one of my review copy being
badly off center, my listening was confined
to one half of this program of poems and
songs of the sea. I doubt that my pleasure
was cut in half though, for Oscar Brand's

breathy voice and strenuous efforts to drama-
tize these songs seemed highly inappropriate.
Even less successful were the vehement
readings of Bill Forrest, which robbed even
Masefield's Sea Fever of all beauty. Very
close-to recording. J. F. 1.

GIANNI POGGI
Opera Arias

Giuseppe Verdi: Luisa Miller: Quando
le sere al placido. II Trovatore; Ah! sit ben
mio; Di quella pira. Giacomo Puccini:
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mat.
Gianni Schicchi: Firenze e come un albero
fiorito. Giordano; Andrea Chenier: Come
un be/ d) di maggio. Fedora: Amor ti vieta.
Gianni Poggi (t). Orchestra of the Ac-
cademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome; Alberto
Erede, cond.

London ld 9106. 10-in. $2.95.

Although he is only a little more than 3o
and never has appeared in this country,
Gianni Poggi is already known here by
enthusiasts of operas on records as one of
the best of active Italian tenors. There

can be no serious questioning of his right to
international status, and if he were to be
engaged by the Metropolitan the most ap-
posite reaction would be one of pleasure
and cordial interest. However, there is a
difference between the listening climate
surrounding a complete opera performance
and that surrounding a s< nes of disconnected
arias such as this. In the one case, the lis-
tener is hearing a total pe- tormance in which
the aria is important but not denning. In
the other, all he has to hear is the aria. And
however partial or even erroneous an idea
he may get of the singer's whole capability,
he does have a right to assume that these
particular arias wouldn't have been excerpted
for this particular singer unless they were
going to be sung with some kind of special
excellence. The point of all this — and it
seems unfair not to make it — is that Gianni
Poggi, on the weight of the evidence, is a
considerably better opera singer than this
record might lead a critical listener to think.

The voice itself is not tremendously
powerful. It sounds as a big lyric voice
Continued on page 84

It Ain't Necessarily Ooinpah: The Concert Band

TTlME WAS when any self-respecting
composer turned up his nose if a band hap-
pened to come within earshot. Band music
was quite obviously the crassest form of a
noble art, lacking even the rough-hewn
honesty of folk-music.

The band-rabble tried to assuage their
wounded egos by becoming the world's
nattiest dressers. Fresh from college courses
in "Marching Tactics," with fourrageres
dangling and epaulets at full tilt, they
twirled batons and strutted their stuff to
the measured monotony of four-four
time.

Band music today has achieved at least
middle-class respectability. Hoist and
Vaughan Williams broke the ice in England;
Prokofieff and Shostakovitch reconciled
the grand manner and the band manner for
Russian People's Music and such; even
Stravinsky, Schonberg and Milhaud have
succumbed. Dozens of our own reputable
symphonists have made friendly overtures
in the direction of the once-heckled band.
As a market for scores it's profitable, and
still growing.

The Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble
is no ordinary band. At full strength it
could drown out most orchestras twice its
size. On one of the records of the new
Mercury series featuring it (three have been
issued) it plays marches by Sousa, et al.,
with enough virtuoso flourish and parade-
ground precision to make even a German
bandmaster turn Kelly green. But ESWE
-founder Frederick Fennell has made a spec-
ial point of cultivating a new repertoire.
To enlist American composers' support,
he's urged them to "lay aside whatever
unpleasant connotations the term 'band'
might bring to mind." The 10 whose
"Concert Band Masterpieces" Fennell con-
ducts with such obvious enthusiasm have
certainly done that much. Still, what new
ideas or notions do they arrive at? Ap-
parently, that the tuba is a fine instrument
to syncopate against.

The collection is peppered with pleasant

dissonances, presumably to mark it "mod-
ern," but is so full of platitudes that the
authors seem to be addressing a high school
convocation. Reproduction on all three
disks is crisp and clean-as-a-whistle: but
there are few spots, musically, that provide
any tonal excitement. Owen Reed's
Fiesta Mexicana is easily the brightest. A
sharp breeze whistles through his brasses,
and he has an engaging, straightforward
way of handling chimes, drums and wood-
blocks. Persichetti's Divertimento parades a
succession of short movements that strike
occasional sparks of wit. His Psalm stalks
along majestically like a Baroque chorale
until it defeats its own purpose with blatant
jazzerie. The Mennin Canzona builds up
an impressive head of live rhythmic steam
before the stock climax is reached; Thomson's
Solemn Music is every bit as solemn as any
one could wish; Hanson's Chorale maintains
a sort of Puritan strength only to fall before
the martial booming of the Alleluia.
Morton Gould's Ballad belongs to the

Frederick Fennell, leader of the Eastman
Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Not all Ameri-
can composers are quite at ease with brasses.

Hollywood frontier country, where the
Ravellian spring bubbles and the setting
sun casts its Miklos Rozseate glow. Piston,
in Turnbridge Fair, takes the concert band
with a healthy grain of salt, mixing delight-
ful clodhopper rhythms with urban sophis-
tication. The Commando March by ex-
airman Samuel Barber is on old-fashioned
quickstep sporting a crew cut. Robert
Russell Bennett's Old American Dances
are deftly scored, wear homespun, and a
toothpaste smile. William Schuman makes
some profound observations on the George
Washington Bridge but the piece lacks the
main advantage of the actual bridge:
That it takes you from one end to the other
by the shortest route.

Frederic V. Grunfeld

THE CONCERT BAND

Persichetti: Divertimento for Band; Gould:
Ballad for Band; Schuman: George Wash-
ington Bridge; Bennett: Suite of Old American
Dances; Piston: Turnbridge Fair; Barber:
Commando March.

Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Fred-
erick Fennell, cond.
Mercury mg 40006 1 2-in. $5.95.

Reed:Z.rf Fiesta Mexicana: Mennin: Canzona;
Persichetti: Psalm; Thomson: A Solemn
Music; Hanson: Chorale and Alleluia.
Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Fred-
erick Fennell, cond.
Mercury mg 4001 i 12-in. $5.95.

Sousa: Fairest of the Fair; Manhattan Beach:
The Blackhorse Troop; Daughters of Texas;
Rifle Regiment; Corcoran Cadets: Hands Across
the Sea: Semper Fidelis: Jenkins-Neff: Pieces
of Eight; Hanson: March Carillon; Goldman:
Cheerio; Fillmore: His Honor; Bigelow:
Our Director; Alford: Glory of the Gridiron ;
King: Pride of the lllini; Bagley: National
Emblem.

Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Fred-
erick Fennell, cond.

Mercury mg 40007 12-in. 45-95-

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

producer of lhi> finest high fidelity

audio e q ii i p in e ii t

Mcintosh Music announces the iirsl four of a scries of moderately priced
high fidelity recordings produced to complement the perfection of Mcintosh
audio systems. The same superb quality is found in these recordings that has
made Mcintosh the hallmark of quality in audio equipment. The virtuosity of
a group of brilliant, young artists is available for your complete listening
pleasure through the Mcintosh label which means the highest

in high fidelity reproduction

HHttosh

October, 1954

MM101 LP 33 1/3 — Gordon Staples: A brilliantly executed violin
recital featuring William kioll's Banjo and Fiddle, Pablo Sarasate's Ma-
laguena, Serge Prokofiev's March (The Love for Three Oranges), Karol
Szymanowski's La Fontaine d'Arethuse. Manuel de Falla's Danse Es-
pagnole, and Claude Debussy's Sonata (!\'o, 3) for Violin and Piano. The
piano accompanist is George Silfies.

MM 102 LP 33 1/3 — Charles T. Chapman, carillonneur : Carillon
music from the Singing Tower of Luray, Virginia in a selection of master-
fully played Christmas and folk music including Bells of St. Mary, Fairest
Lord Jesus, Silent Niglit. French Folk Songs, and Adeste Fidelis. A first in
reproduction of an instrument that has hitherto defied successful capture.

MM103 LP 33 1/3 — Paul Olefsky : A violoncello recital by a cellist
who is a symbol of musical worth to listeners and performing musicians
alike. Included are Debussy's Sonata. Faure's Apes un Rcve, Senallie's
Allegro Spiritoso, deFalla's Suite Populaire Espagnole, Frescobaldi s
Toccata, and Prokofiev's March (Music for Children). George Silfies, piano
accompanist.

MM104 LP 33 1/3 — James Machines: Chopin and Mozart revealed
through the unencumbered vision of a young pianist whose recent debut
with Dmitri Mitropoulis and the i\ew York Philharmonic Orchestra
aroused enthusiastic praise from New York critics. Played are Chopin's
Three Etudes (posthumous), and Polonaise-Fantaisie in A Flat (Opus 61),
and Mozart's Sonata in D Major, Cigue in G Major and Menuetto in D
Major.

Available in better record shops and in audio equipment stores that sell
Mcintosh. For your nearest supplier, write to:

M c 1 ii t n n h Musi e

1213 Wyatt Building, Washington 5, D. C.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

KtCOKDS

MISCELLANY

Continued from page 82

rather than a dramatic one — not the plushy,
sensuously lovely, Gigli kind of lyric voice,
but the clear, bright kind that makes its
effect through the ring of good metal. And
it is well used, typically, with very little
mannerism or dallying with superficial
effects. Least satisfactory is the side given
over to Verdi. Poggi's Ah! si, ben mm is
very elegant, but there really is little excuse
for casting this voice to sing Di quella pira,
and no excuse at all for a prestissimo clip
that makes it sound (anyway) almost as if
the tape had been speeded up to produce
the interpolated Cs. Nor does the singer
do either himself or one of Verdi's most
lovely melodies full justice in Quando le
sere al placido. The Puccini-Giordano side is
better, but even here none of the arias is
accomplished as fully as should, and could,
be. Yet — for all these denigrating com*
ments — Mr. Poggi is an attractive singer
and the record is worth having. Sound:
good-grade London. J. H., Jr.

THE BEST OF JAZZ

By John S. Wilson

THE TAL FARLOW ALBUM

NoRGRAN MG N-19. 10-in. 25 min. $3.85.

Tal Farlow, Barry Galbraith, guitars; Oscar
Pettiford, bass; Joe Morello, drums.
// There Is Someone Lovelier Than You; With
the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair; My Old
Flame; Gibson Boy; You and the Night and the
Music; Love Nest; Blues in the Closet; Every-
thing I've Got.

Tal Farlow is a guitarist who obviously
understands the potential of his instrument
and is not afraid to explore it. He even goes
adventuring down among the usually ig-
nored bass strings. He plays with a flowing,
floating development of ideas in which
there are faint echoes of Django Keinhardt
or possibly Charlie Christian. On these
selections, he displays a fondness for a fast,
swinging beat which gives his work a lilting
gaiety, all too often missing in today's
guitar playing. Add to this his ability to
evade the obvious even when it seems in-
evitable and the result is a distinctly superior
disk. Farlow is the whole show on every
number except Gibson Boy, a duet on which
he single strings it in front of Barry Gal-
braith's chotding.

TURK MURPHY and WALLY ROSE

The Music of Jelly Roll Morton

Columbia cl 559. 12-in. 53 min. $3 95-

Don Kinch, trumpet; Bob Shott, trumpet
and tuba; Turk Murphy, trombone; Bob
Helm, clarinet; Wally Rose, piano; Dick
Lammi, banjo; Freddie Crewes, tuba.
Kansas City Stomps; Sweet Substitute; Frog-i-
more Rag; Tom Cat Blues; London Blues;
Sidewalk Blues; Mr. Jelly Lord; Big Fat Ham;

Jelly Roll Blues; Stratford Hunch; Wild Man
Blues; Shreveport Stomp; Milenberg Joys; $$th
Street Blues; New Orleans Blues; The Pearls.

JELLY ROLL MORTON

Classic Jazz Piano, Vol. i

Riverside rlp io38. 10-in. 23 min. $3.95.
Jelly Roll Morton, piano.

Grandpa's Spells; Shreveport Stomp; Kansas
City Stomps; Stratford Hunch, Buck town Blues;
Big Fat Ham; Perfect Rag; Tom Cat Blues.

Classic Jazz Piano, Vol. 2

Riverside rlp 1041. 10-in. 23 min. $3.95.
Jelly Roll Morton, piano.

King Po rter; New Orleans Joys; Wolverine
Blues; London Blues; Froggie Moore; Jelly Roll
Blues; Mamamita; Tia Juana.

While Victor is taking its own sweet time
about allowing common ears once more to
hear Jelly Roll Morton s band versions of
his classic jazz creations, it is good to have
these stabs in that direction by Turk Mur-
phy's group. Murphy's efforts are not
thoroughly satisfying but they quite de-
finitely have their moments. When Bob
Short or Don Kinch add their trumpets to
Murphy's trombone and Helm's clarinet,
the ensembles usually produces a properly
rounded sound. Mr. Jelly Lord, Big Fat Ham,
Milenberg Joys and New Orleans Blues are
amply benefited by their presence. Helm,
an erratic soloist who can switch in a matter
of seconds from a beautiful tone to a maud-
lin, syrupy sound, is much more dependable
when he's noodling around in support of
another instrument. In this manner, he
teams happily with Murphy on Frog-i-more
Rag, with Short's tuba on London Blues and
with Rose on New Orleans Blues and The
Pearls. Rose is a pianist who has practically
nothing in common with Morton but at
times his scampering manner of playing is
helpful. Despite the ins and outs of the
musicians, however, Morton's compositions
are so indestructible that when they are
played with as much spirit as they are on
this disk theit pleasures are inescapable.

Meanwhile, Riverside is assiduously re-
storing to availability some of Morton's
definitive solo performances of his compo-
sitions. The two disks of Classic Jazz Piano
are made up of sides he cut fot Gennett in
1923 and 1924. The recording is consonant
with those times and the LP restorations are
about as good as could be hoped for. The
performances, as the title quite justly claims,
are classic and so are the selections.

LAWSON-HAGGART JAZZ BAND

Louis' Hot 5's and 7's

DECCA dl 5533. 10-in. 25 min. $3.00.

Yank Lawson, trumpet; Lou McGarity,
trombone; Bill Stegmeyer, clarinet; Lou
Stein, piano; George Barnes, guitar; Bob
Haggatt, bass; Cliff Leeman, drums.
Cornet Chop Suey; Skit-Dat-De-Dat; Potato
Head Blues; Gully Low Blues; Heebie Jeebies;
Melancholy Blues; Wild Man Blues; King of
the Zulus.

South of the Mason-Dixon Line

DECCA dl 5529. 10-in. 22 min. $3.00.

Lawson, Billy Butterfield, trumpet; McGar-
ity, Cutty Cutshall, trombone; Stegmeyer,

clarinet; Peanuts Hucko, tenor saxophone;
Stein, piano; Barnes, guitar; Haggart, bass;
Leeman, drums.

Alabama Bound; Georgia on My Mind; Moon
Over M iami; Tennessee Waltz; M ississippi
Mud; I'm Coming Virginia; Louisiana; Cryin
for the Carolines.

While there is no denying that the Lawson-
Haggart versions of the Louis Armstrong
pieces are, in general, denatured and largely
drained of their original character, there is
also no denying that Lawson plays an un-
compromisingly brilliant trumpet and that
Lou McGarity is possessed of a trombonistic
exuberance of a particularly beguiling na-
ture. It follows that if there is little of Louis
in the Hot $'s and fs set, there is much of
Lawson and McGarity under high steam and
this, taken on its own merits, is a thing to be
thankful for. There is also an occasional
shot of Bill Stegmeyer's pleasant clarinet but,
unfortunately, there is also somewhat of
George Barnes on solo guitar, a misplaced
sound in these surroundings, and of Lou
Stein's toutine piano, simply misplaced.

When the augmented Lawson-Haggart
group ventures South of the Mason-Dixon Line
they hit a slightly better average since, for
one thing, they are not competing with
definitive versions of the numbers they play.
Again it is the bravura manner of Lawson
and McGarity which drives the group but
in these selections there is a balanced ap-
proach so that Barnes, for instance, is used
in solo style only where he can be particu-
larly effective, i.e., setting a deep blue mood
for Cryin for the Carolines. Besides the tradi-
tional antics indicated by the titles, there is
some cutting of new ground as in the group's
swinging version of the treacly Tennessee
Waltz which is appropriately listed as a
"stomp."

Both of these disks are full of spirited
playing which occasionally devolves into
the easy slickness of a night at Nick's but on
the whole is distinguished by its vitality and
drive. The recording is excellent.

JAZZ STUDIO

DECCA dl 8079. 12-in. 40 min. $4.8;.

Herb Geller, alto saxophone; Jimmy Giuffre,
clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones;
Don Fagerquist, trumpet; Milt Bernhart,
trombone; John Graas, french horn; Marty
Paich, piano; Curtis Counce, bass; Howard
Roberts, guitar; Larry Bunker, drums.
Laura; Here Come the Lions; Paicheck; Graas
Point; Darn That Dream; Do It Again.

A collection of brightly conceived, tightly
arranged and decorously played West Coast
jazz. More and more the element of swing
is becoming dominant in the Pacific jazz
school and on this disk it is particularly —
and happily — evident. The musicians
gathered for this session are an unusually
creative and self-controlled group, qualities
which are reflected in their work on these
six selections. Herb Geller's imaginative
and spirited playing on alto saxophone,
John Graas' polished jazz interpretations
on french horn and Curtis Counce's com-
pelling bass (notably displayed on Paicheck)
stand out even in this fast company. The
one sour note is contributed by the usually
dependable Milt Bernhart whose playing is

Continued on page 86
High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

APOLOGY

— and a promise!

Last month's announce-
ment (see right) of
W-LAB 7002 put us on
a spot. Initial response
swamped us, while cus-
tom manufacture does
not permit usual com-
mercial schedules. To
you who have written
asking "when?" and
"where?": our apol-
ogy. W-LAB 7002 is
now being delivered,
as quickly as manufac-
ture permits. Your
dealer has it or will
have it, soon. And our
promise: we'll not
again be caught short.
The next release in
the Laboratory Series
(Gliere's The Red
Poppy) is being ad-
vanced. It will be ready
when this ad appears.
To all who received first
deliveries of W-LAB
7002 and wrote such
glowing praise: our
gratitude. Such recep-
tion is an unforgettable
thrill!

Westminster Laboratory Series
••'he only non-demonstration records
made expressly for professional equipment!

ONLY IF you have invested car,

and money to achieve the opti

mum in sound reproduction

will you be interested in
* "LAB- a limited series of rec-
ords made specifically for the
finest equipment. On these rec-
ords there is no distortion
either harmonic or intermodu-
lar^ There is no "echo", no
seepage of sound. There is no
reduction of high-frequency
response, no stylus-bridging of
inside grooves. VV-LAB sound
If s° clea'-' s° clean, it cannot
be described except by the
promise that your system has
never yet produced such music'

The first release (W-LAB 7002)
is Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Ita-
Iten and Rimskv-Korsakof f's
Capriccio Espagnol, London
Symphony Orchestra under
Scherchen. With dust-protec-
tive cover, and accompanied by
an engineering analysis by
UO. McProud, editor and pub-
^'■oj Audio Engineering, it

As Mr. McProud says, -You are
due for a pleasant surprise!"

LISTEN -AND COMPARE!

WESTMINSTER RECORDING CO., INC.

October, 1934

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

BEST OF JAZZ

Continued from page 84

marked, inexplicably, by lasielessness and a
triteness that often sounds mocking. This
is balanced, considered jazz in the modern
manner, carefully recorded.

JOHNNY HODGES
Memories of Ellington

NORGRAN MC N-l 004. 12-in. 3imin. $4.85.

Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone; Ben Web-
ster, Flip Phillips, Al Sears, tenor saxophone;
Lawrence Brown, trombone; Emmett Berry,
trumpet; Leroy Lovett, piano; Lloyd Trot-
man, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.
In a Mellow Tone; I Let a Song Go Out of My
Heart; Don't Get Around Much Any More;
Come Sunday; I Got It Bad and That Ain't
Good; Sophisticated Lady; Day Dream; Soli-
tude; Good Queen Bess.

The lovely liquid tones of Johnny Hodges'
alto saxophone return to home territory on
this disk. Even though he has led his own
group for several years, Hodges is still an
integral part of the total Ellington concept
and he is never better than when he is work-
ing in that metier. His playing on these
selections, most of which he must have re-
peated hundreds of times, is as ftesh and
warm as if he had just worked out his solos.
Although this is essentially a showcasing
of Hodges, the very dependable Lawrence
Brown gets in a few rich licks and Emmett
Berry's pungent trumpet makes an occasion-
al telling appearance. It is a well-chosen,
reminiscent collection. Its least familiar
selection, but possibly the best in this ren-
dition, is the moving Come Sunday from
Ellington's Black, Brown and Beige.

HOW HI THE FI

A Buck Clayton Jam Session.

Columbia cl 567. 12-in. 56 min. $3.95.

Buck Clayton, Joe Newman, trumpets;
Urbie Green, Benny Powell, trombones;
Lem Davis, alto saxophone; Julian Dash,
tenor saxophone; Charlie Fowlkes, baritone
saxophone; Sir Charles Thompson, piano;
Freddie Green, guitar; Walter Page, bass;
Jo Jones, drums.
Sentimental Journey; Moten Swing.

Clayton, Joe Thomas, trumpets; Green,
Trummy Young, trombones; Woody Her-
man, clarinet; Davis, alto saxophone; Dash,
Al Cohn, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Jones,
piano; Steve Jordan, guitar; Page, bass;
Jones, drums.
How Hi the Fi; Blue Moon.

George Avakian's efforts to produce relaxed
studio jam sessions start paying off with
this disk. One side, containing Sentimental
Journey and Moten Swing, dates back to the
session which produced the first Buck Clay-
ton Jam Session and has some of the merits
and weaknesses of that disk. On the favor-
able side are the pointed trumpet work of
Joe Newman, Sir Charles Thompson's elfin
piano and the sturdy bottom previded by
Charlie Fowlkes' baritone saxophone. But
there's also an uncertainty which makes
Moten Swing seem rather delicate and sub-
dued instead of properly driving.

How Hi the Fi and Blue Moon come vividly
and fully to life, however. Prodded by the
exhilarating beat of How Hi the Fi, the solo-
ists achieve some particularly happy efforts.
Trummy Young's trombone is swingingly
urgent, Joe Thomas' trumpet sure and clean,
Jimmy Jones' piano economically meaning-
ful. In this company, Woody Herman's
clarinet sounds at home for the first time in
ten years. And Buck Clayton, a mere
shadow of his potential at the earlier sessions,
rises to the occasion with a series of magnifi-
cent appearances. The general level of the
playing can be judged from the fact that
there are three saxophone soloists and, ex-
cept for Lem Davis' opening gambit, they
all play with taste and vitality. On Blue
Moon, taken at a moderate rock, the group
demonstrates that a ballad doesn't neces-
sarily have to be dragged to a slow death
and the soloists again are a joy to hear. So
far as performance is concerned, Avakian
appears to be on the right track. As to the
recording, the fi is quite definitely hi.

The Duke, Now he talks like Fred Allen,
but the music remains genuine Ellington.

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FA-
MOUS ORCHESTRA

Seattle Concert

Victor ljm 1002. 12-in. 56 min. S4.85.

Skin Deep; Sultry Serenade; Sophisticated Lady:
Perdido; Caravan; Harlem Suite; The Hawk
Talks; Ellington Medley; Jam with Sam.

Ellington '55

Capitol w 521. 12-in. 43 min. $4.97.

Rockin' in Rhythm; Black and Tan Fantasy;
Stompin at the Savoy; In the Mood: One O'clock
Jump; Honeysuckle Rose; Flying Home; Happy
Go Lucky Local.

The present Ellington band, recorded two
years apart (Seattle in 1952 and Ellington '55
in 1954), still bears the Duke's unmistakable
hand as evidently as ever in the ensembles.
However, a few of his current soloists seem
to have lost sight of some numbers' motiva-
tions. The Seattle concert is notable for its
individual showpieces — Britt Woodman's
trombone on Sultry Serenade, Willie Smith's
alto saxophone on Sophisticated Lady, the
familiar Juan Tizol introduction to Caravan,
Jimmy Hamilton's strong clarinet also on

Caravan and the Duke's piano medley of
his compositions. Along with this there is a
good deal of fustian and splashes of rococo
which are scarcely appropriate to the El-
lington picture. Ellington's amusingly ur-
bane introductions to the numbers have
been retained in the recording and it is of
passing interest to note that he is getting to
sound more and more like Fred Allen (in
timbre, not content).

Ellington '55 is an odd and rather amusing
kettle of fish in that it shows the Duke
doing something he has rarely done before
— invading other bands' territory. There is a
quaint charm in the efforts of the heavy
Ellington band to make like Count Basic's
light fingered group on One O'clock Jump —
they play the notes all right but the way they
play them just misses the point. They are
similarly defeated by In the Mood despite the
Duke's valiant effort to give it an Elling-
tonian twist by attacking it as a train piece.
The standard Ellington compositions on
this disk fare much better, having the solid
basis of Ellington tradition, spiced by the
personalities of the present group of El-
lington soloists. Even here, however, some
of the solo work is marred by pointless over-
decoration.

CLAIRE AUSTIN SINGS THE BLUES

Good TimeJazz l 24. 10-in. 26 min. $3.00.

Kid Ory, trombone; Don Ewell, piano; Ed
Garland, bass; Minor Hall, drums; Claire
Austin, vocals.

The World's Jazz Crazy; Down Hearted Blues;
See See Rider; Good Time Flat Blues; Careless
Love; Nobody Knows You When You're Down
and Out; Mecca Flat Blues; 'Fore Day Creep.

MUTT CAREY PLAYS THE BLUES

Riverside rlp 1042. 10-in. 18 min. $3.95-

Mutt Carey, trumpet; Hociel Thomas, piano
and vocals.

Gambler's Dream; Muddy Water Blues; Go
Down, Sunshine; Advice Blues; Barrel House
Man; Nobody Knows You When You're Down
and Out.

Claire Austin is a California housewife who
is occasionally lured into a recording studio
to tape some of the blues she has been listen-
ing to on records. Her manner is primarily
based on that of Bessie Smith and, while it
would be difficult to think of a better model,
the unfortunate fact remains that when any-
one attempts to sing Bessie's songs in Bessie's
manner the listener is bound to hear an
echo of the real Bessie, emphasizing the
difference between the original and the copy.
To Miss Austin's credit, she is often able to
overcome much of this but even on her
better efforts, such as Down Hearted Blues,
she obviously lacks the full, rich quality
that Bessie had. When she gets away from
Bessie's material, Miss Austin seems to
relax, to accept a song as something which
she can approach in her own way, even
though her way is a reflection of Bessie.
For this reason, her Good Time Flat Blues is
warm and convincing. The disk is an in
and out affair, but even when it is "out" it
is refreshing to hear a traditionalist blues
singer in this day of rhythm and blues grun-
ters.

One of the Bessie Smith numbers that
Miss Austin attempts is her classic Nobody

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RECORDS

Knows You When You're Down and Out.
Hociel Thomas also sings this on Mutt
Carey Plays the Blues. Miss Thomas has a
manner that is more natural, more legiti-
mate than Miss Austin's. Her approach,
which is quite different from Bessie Smith's,
is notable for its beautiful phrasing. Her
singing, recorded in 1946 when she was well
past her prime (but previously unreleased
except for Go Down, Sunshine) has much of
the resourcefulness of a fast ball pitcher who
has turned cute with the approach of age.
She sings in a subdued voice, very Icnowl-
edgably, very effectively. Her casual ease
is thoroughly appropriate to her material.
Carey, incidentally, appears only as accom-
panist to Miss Thomas and even at that he
plays a minor role for her major accompani-
ment is provided by her own provocative
piano.

COUNT BASIE DANCE SESSION

Clef mg c-626. 12-in. 35 min. $4.85.

Straight Life; Basic Goes Wess; Softly, with
Peeling; Peace Pipe; Blues Go Away!; Cherry
Point; Bubbles: Right On; The Blues Done
Come Back; Plymouth Rock.

This Basie band is the critics' choice among
current big bands according to a recent poll
but the competition is obviously none too
stiff. The brass and reeds of this band can
stand consideration with Basie groups of
the past but their best efforts are hindered
by a rhythm section that is heavy-handed
and totally unBasieish. Basie himself is as
brightly rhythmic as ever and there are
times when the band manages to overcome
its wooden rhythm section, mostly on slow,
relaxed things — Softly, with Feeling, Blues
Go Away, The Blues Done Come Back and the
best thing on the disk, Plymouth Rock, one
of Basic's sneakers, a minor, melodic thing.
Although the notes don't indicate who the
sidemen are, it can be presumed that Frank
Wess is responsible for much of the fine
tenor work and Joe Newman for the neatly
phrased trumpet solos.

CHILDREN'S RECORDS

By Sally McCaslin

Concerto for Toys and Orchestra.

Young People's Rf.cords-432. 78 rpm.
10 in. $1.25.

Young People's Records commissioned
Walter Hendl, conductor of the Dallas
Symphony Orchestra, to write this work;
but we think even they must have been sur-
prised with the result. It is amazingly good
— a little mad, suspiciously mischievous,
yet thoroughly musical. The adult reaction
is to sit up and smile. The children (more
at home with madness and mischief) take a
more intellectual approach. They try to
recognize and keep count of the toys em-
ployed. These include a mama doll, a
bicycle bell, a rattle, a toy bird, a slide
whistle, a toy trumpet, xylophone, and drum.

The concerto is made up of three separate
pieces, Holiday; Mamma, I Can't Sleep, and
School's Out, (a mischievous sequence if we
ever heard one). Of these. Mamma, I Can't

October, 1954

Sleep, featuring the plaintive wail of an actual
mama doll, is the most successful. It has a
nightmarish quality — the wakeful child's
mood, and an underlying despair — the
parent's feeling in a "Mamma, I can't
sleep" situation.

Holiday and School's Out are raucous, brash,
exciting; yet so neatly compounded they
are satisfying to hear.

YPR suggests this record for the six to
ten age group. We think it could be de-
scribed as a record for liberals — i.e., those
"not narrow or contracted in mind." (Web-
ster's Collegiate Dictionary, definition num-
ber six.)

Two Little Magic Words
Capitol. CASF-3208. 45 rpm. 99^.

Bozo's Songs About Good Manners
Capitol. Casf-32io. 45 rpm. 99^.

And now to get back quickly to solid
ground, these records are designed ro pro-
mote good manners in children. (Anybody
want to quarrel with this?) Tex Ritter sings
about two little magic words, "Please" and
"thank you." On the back he makes a long,
single-minded appeal, "Has Anybody Seen
My Kitty?"

Bozo, as usual, calls upon his animal
friends to help him with the courtesy lessons.
For example, the hippopotamus, forced to
swim in a small pool, advises taking turns.

Promoting good manners is a more com-
plicated process than this, of course. At
least, these are painless applications — and
they may help.

FIGARO, PARIS, asked
in its Feb. 24th,
1953 edition...

"When Paganini played for the first time in Paris, 1 imagine that he was heard
with the same enthusiasm accorded Gitlis the other evening. The same sparkling
virtuosity, blinding like the summer sun to discover all the details, depth and
emotion of the work. One is fascinated hy his left hand which fondles the chords,
by the bow that jumps with diaholical precision, by the purity of the sound . . . **

This unrestrained praise is typical of the reception accorded Ivry Gitlis. The
Manchester Guardian said, "Gitlis kept his audience continuously spellbound by
the vitality and integrity of his musical expression as well as hy his impeccable
technique which was full of fire and energy."

No, Ivry Gitlis is not Paganini. Gitlis is Gitlis, comparable to Paganini in that but
once in a century or longer, such an artist comes along, to remain a permanent
standard of unsurpassed excellence.

THE VOX DEBUT OF IVRY GITLIS
PAIRS TWO BEST KNOWN VIOLIN CONCERTOS

VIOLIN CONCERTO IN E MINOR, OPUS 64

MENDELSSOHN:
TCHAIKOVSKY: violin concerto in d major, opus 35

Ivry Gitlis, violin — Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna

Heinrich Hollreiser, conductor

PL 8840

Also recently recorded by the same artist:

ALBAN BERG: concerto for violin

Ivry Gitlis, violin — Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna. William Stricklond, conductor
CHAMBER CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, PIANO AND 13 WINDS
Ivry Gitlis, violin — Chorlotte Zelko, piano

Pro Musica Wind Instrument Ensemble, Vienna, Harold Byrns, conductor PL 8660

You will marvel at the sound of his violin that comes from your high fidelity equip-
ment. For this recording has the breadth, the vitality that made you want a super-
lative sound system ... to hear all the magic of unsurpassed virtuosity.

Ultra High Fidelity ttcat oinas

131 WEST iSTK ST., NEW YORK 1*. N, V,

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

Hunters of the Sea

Children's Record Guild. 78rpm. 10-in.
$1.24.

The story of whaling, Moby Dick style, (no
radar or explosive harpoons here), plus
songs of the sea ("Blow Ye Winds of Morn-
ing," "Around Cape Horn," etc.) make
this a good solid addition to a child's record
library. Produced by Young People's Rec-
ords, it follows the YPR formula used in
their other Americana records, The Chhholm
Trail, Working on the Railroad. An old
sailor tells the story of his voyage on the
whaler, Globe, sailing out of Nantucket in
the year 1818. She was fitted for two years'
voyage. "Two years at sea!" he bellows.
"Think of that, you landlubbers!" (To
this landlubber, it is something to think
about.) The wind whistles through the

rigging. The whale blows, breeches, and
sounds; and if you don't know what this
means, you can, like us, look it up in the
glossary of whaling terms on the envelope.

Sparky's Magic Baton

Capitol. Eaxf-32o6. Two 45 rpm. $2.36.

Songs About the Brass

Extra-play Golden Record. 78 rpm. 35^-

The King*s Trumpet

Children's Record Guild. 78 rpm. 10-in.

$1.24.

Three different record companies come up
with the same idea — that of making the
child acquainted with the instruments of a
symphony orchestra. Although by no
means new, it is still a good idea. Much
music appreciation is based on knowledge;

VANGUARD INTRODUCES

The Striitiaal Jdtrfkrn maesffo

(An *xtlWif» Vanguard ariijlj

tn tbv firtf of <* (*r"r« ai mognifitent
ttigt\-Ftdet\ty performances BmWdjrjnp

VANGUARD QUALITY CONTROL

PROKOFIEV Cantata

ALEXANDER NEVSKY, or.rt

(Sung in Russian)

wrth the Vi'crtrin Srni* Op&ru Orchestra, Chorus ana"
Ana Mario Iriarte, mezzo-soprano —Moth? Rw*T, conductor
VfiS-45! 1-12" m <4*b*e oJfcum 15.93

THE VANGUARD-BACH GUILD FORMULA for records of permanent value
• Great musk • Memorable performances • Vanguard Quality Control Sound
PLAUDITS from HIGH FIDELITY magazine!

MOZART

have of the music. Briefly, rhe G Minor

SOIL'HKRT Symphony So. 8, in B Minor,

Unfinished
Vicnnj State Oper.i Orchestra. Felix
I r ihisk i. mmliitinr
VANf.lMKh M> \'RS~m

Symphony No. 40, in G Minor, kv 550 has a Performance *f could call standard,

without surprises (which it does not need),
deftly managed by the orchestra who respond
well to this conductor. The Unfinished
Symphony is impressive in the contrasts of
its lyricism and its savagery, neither exag-
gerated but both indubitable. Above all.
During the past year this reviewer has the orchestral sound has the best definition
given judgment on a total of 28 versions of of any in these works, and the best violin-
ihese Symphonies. Decidedly the new disk tone, a miracle. In this record the fiddles
was not welcome, until it was heard. But it are acrid only when they are supposed to be.
places Mr. Prohaska and the Vanguard The tutlis are notably rich, and even the
engineers in a light so strongly favorable that horns sound out fully, without disaster. If
music. lovers are urged to hear it with an ear music must be duplicated endlessly in re-
cotked to replacing what records they may cording, this is the way to do it. C. G. B.

KitMCIMCf. MM

1HE CONNOliitUfl

FlWi *t m\t*r KbHer
■ iwpi>l>i

vbi khtiiir ?"

Ic.H 1 "All ir ftfP"

SUSTAf

LEONHARDT,

hajf ikhud, pl*p

J. S. BACH

6DLBl£li6
Vgrjgligns

IC 53* MJ" H.M

ft tnM *mk1tT M

"vmuiiig

■ !.!' ! >' IMTIOL"
v. V.l|llld

lnW-i Ik.

T!A Kt*1 iiht Sluil,
fet M H. 1.1.

and in this day and age, to adults at least,
there is something comforting about a nice
solid fact. Children, apparently, are in less
need of such comfort. All three records per-
form various gymnastics to prevent the
child from learning that he is learning.

The Sparky record is the most ambitious.
A little boy finds a "magic" baton. When it
touches a musical instrument, the instru-
ment plays and even (thanks to sonovox)
speaks. At the concert hall, where Sparky
goes to return the baton, he meets and
converses with all the instruments of the
orchestra. He hears them play singly and
then altogether in a real concert. Along with
the record there is a book showing pictures
of the various instruments. It is an effective
and popular device with children four to ten.
Adults will squirm a little when the instru-
ments "talk."

Songs about the Brass is just that — songs
describing and illustrating the French horn,
trombone, trumpet, and tuba. (A word of
caution: Every child had the same reaction
to the tuba: "That's the one I want to
play.")

The King's Trumpet is the most thorough,
the most factual, and the least condescend-
ing. We vote for it; but it won't win a
popularity contest with the children. (We,
of the castor oil school, sometimes choose
records because they are good for the chil-
dren; and we think this one qualifies.)
They will play it occasionally.

The record traces the development of the
trumpet from the ram's horn, or Shofar,
used by shepherds, through its use by early
kings to summon their armies, to its present
triumph in music such as Haydn's trumpet
concerto.

Waltz of the Flowers

Capitol, KASF-3204. 45 rpm. $1.10.

A graceful little story explains how Tchai-
kovsky's famous waltz got its name. It
seems some field mice always felt compelled
to dance whenever this waltz was played.
The local cats got hep to the obsession (an
obsession we share) and showed up at the
concert, prepared to dine when the mice
danced. But the mice fooled them. They
camouflaged themselves with flowers and
waltzed right by the unsuspecting cats.
Besides the story, there is also the waltz,
played by the Continental Symphony Or-
chestra.

Bugs Bunny and the Pirate

Capitol. Casf3200. 45 rpm. 99**.

Daffy Duck*s Duck Inn

Capitol. Casf-3i99- 45 rpm. 99**.

Woody Woodpecker and the Truth Tonic

Capitol. Casf-32ii. 45 rpm. 99*.

Tweety*s Good Deed

Capitol. Casf-3212. 45 rpm. 99**.

Nurtured, as we were, on the gentle crea-
tures of Thornton Burgess's Green Meadow
we have had a hard time getting used to the
racy, zoot-suited menagerie created by Walt
Disney — (and an even harder time getting
used to that other phenomenon featured
here — Mr. Mel Blanc). However, these
records have helped us over the hump. We
actually enjoyed them. They are happy,
unpretentious, and occasionally funny. The
children like them best of all.

HictH Fidelity Magazine

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RECORDS

Hjgh Fidblity Discography No. ii

Tchaikovsky Recordings on Microgroove

by J. F. Indcox

Part II: Ballet, Symphonic Program Music, Orchestral Miscellany

BALLET MUSIC

Aurora's Wedding (2 Editions)
The one-act divertissement, Aurora's Wed-
ding, a truncated version of Tchaikovsky's
ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, owes its appear-
ance in the repertoire to the famous im-
pressario, Serge Diaghileff. His postwar
production of the complete The Sleeping
Beauty at the Alhambra theatre, London in
1921, while achieving a succis Mistime, had
been a financial failure. The ballet public of
those days were not ready for a ballet run-
ning over four hours. In an effort to recoup
his losses, and at the same time use the
scenery and costumes from the London pro-
duction, Diaghileff arranged a ballet suite,
using music from the thitd act, plus some
choice tid-bits from the rest of The Sleeping
Beauty score. This he produced as Aurora's
Wedding at the Paris Opera in 1922. It
achieved an instantaneous success, and holds
its place today as one of the finest examples
of ballet in the great Russian tradition.

Using the Diaghileff arranged suite,
Stokowski presents us with a glowing per-
formance, reasonably free of mannerisms,
nicely shaded, and most persuasively played
by the orchestra. The string tone is particu-
larly lush, with good brass too.

The MGM recording uses the music of
the third act only ... a difference in play-
ing time of about six minutes. Braithwaite
is not as considerate of the score as his rival,
nor is his orchestra the equal of Stokowski's,
and the result is a rather blustery perform-
ance. MGM's sound, a trifle wan and light
in the bass, simply cannot compare with
Victor's rich product. I might point out that
the MGM version is also available on a
10-inch disk, MGM E 524.
—Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski,
cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Humoresque,
Op. 10, No. 1; Solitude, Op. 73, No. 6.)
Victor lm 1774- 12-in. $5.95.
—Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent
Garden, London, Warwick Braithwaite, cond.
(With Gounod: Ballet music from Faust.)
MGM E 3052. 12-in. $4.85.

Princess Aurora (i Edition)
A variant of the earlier Aurora's Wedding,
this suite, designed by Anton Dolin for the
1 94 1 Ballet Theatre production of Princess
Aurora, uses mostly excerpts from the third
act of The Sleeping Beauty plus sections from
the prologue and Act One of that score. It
does not have the easy flow of the two suites
listed under Aurora's Wedding but is, in
itself, a pretty enough confection. The per-
formance and direction have more dash than

October, 1954

polish and Capitol's sound is not quite as

multi-dimensional as "FDS" implies.

— Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Joseph Levine,

cond. (With Chopin: Les Sylphides.)

Capitol p 8193. 12-in. $5.70.

— Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Joseph Levine,

cond. Capitol L 8195. 10-in. $3.98.

The Nutcracker (complete) Op. 71
(1 Edition)

Tchaikovsky's final contribution to the bal-
let stage, the fanciful, varied and altogether
captivating The Nutcracker appeared in 1892.
Based on a libretto Dumas fashioned from
a fairy tale by the German E. T. A. Hoffmann,
its story presented the composer with in-
numerable chances to exploit his remarkable
powers for colorful orchestration and bizarre
effects, in multifarious divertissements, as
the toys and dolls of the Christmas Tree
come to life. What he achieved was a score
that disarms criticism; one is entranced by
its gaiety, humour, naivete1, warmth and
grace, by its rhythmic variety, the exoticism
of one section, the limpid beauty of another;
it is sheer delight from beginning to end.
At the time, Tchaikovsky was fascinated
with the sound of the celesta, used to
accompany the appearances and dance of
the Sugar Plum Fairy. This instrument he
had discovered in Paris, prior to his American
tour in 1891, and he was particularly anxious
to make use of it before other composers
were aware of its existence. As with other
Tchaikovsky ballet scores, The Nutcracker
is extremely long, so that the easiest ap-
proach to the work has been through the
celebrated and popular suite of excerpts
known as The Nutcracker Suite (Op. 71a).

It would be foolish to pretend that in a
complete recording of this ballet score
everything is on the same high level. In-
evitably one must listen to pages of padding,
often dull and flat, so that such an edition is
not quite the unmixed blessing it appears to
be at first sight. The outstanding feature of
Mercury's album is certainly the superb
realism of its sound. It is, in fact, almost too
clear and too close, so that the veil that
separates the audience from the magic that
is ballet, is completely removed to expose the
mechanics involved. It is this thin curtain
that keeps the two London albums of Swan
Lake and The Sleeping Beauty so thoroughly
in perspective. What is perhaps surprising
here, in view of his background, is the
earnest and determined work of Dorati,
who cannot seem to find much jollity or
humor in the score.

— Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Antal
Dorati, cond. Mercury OL-2-101 Two 12-
in. $1390.

Nutcracker Suite No. i, Op. 71a. (20
Editions)

Practically all recordings confine themselves
to the usual eight excerpts from Op. 71,
though Markevitch adds a "Pasde Deux" for
good measure. With 20 editions to contend
with, I am surprised at the very small spread
in quality between the top and the bottom
of the list. In many cases the quality of
recorded sound has had to be the determin-
ing factor,

The Philadelphian performance, deftly
directed by Ormandy and most attractively
played by his men, is housed in so sump-
tuous an aura of sound that it cannot be dis-
placed in heading this evaluation. From
Fistoulari comes a very bright and enjoyable
affair, well rounded and with a touch of
humor to it, the whole extremely well re-
corded by London. Almost its equal is
Angel's superbly reproduced Karajan, nicely
shaped, and engagingly performed by the
ubiquitous Philharmonia men. The Stokow-
ski, originally issued on a 10-inch Victor
LM 46, then withdrawn and recoupled on
this 12-inch record, is a little older than any
of the above, yet its sound is still good and
the petformance has considerable style and
polish. I like the Markevitch very much, a
cleverly planned performance with fine full-
bodied sound, well reproduced. In spite of
the good sound Victor has given Toscanini,
I did not feel that this is the sort of score that
holds much attraction for him, though he
gives a rather sprightly performance. Desor-
miere is not a man to be hurried; he takes the
music at a most leisurely pace, and is in-
clined to be rather heavy in direction. Nor is
Capitol's recording very attractive, with its
weak bass. Irving has a nice way with this
music, but is ill served by Decca's rather
white sound. The very early Philadelphian
performance on Victor is no match for their
new version on Columbia, even though the
playing is quite elegant. A determined
Rodzinski of several years back, with poorish
sound by today's standards, is about equal
with the performance of his co-Columbian,
Kostelanetz, whose direction is apt to be
tricky and overaccented. The two Reming-
tons seem to be the same version on different
sized disks. However, the recording on the
1 2-inch version is superior to that on the small
record, though even there the strings have an
uncomfortable edge to them. Regent, with
a plodding sound and considerable surface
hiss, has little to offer.

— Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. (With Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping
Beauty.) Columbia ml 4729. 12-in. $5.95.
— L'Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris,
Anatole Fistoulari, cond. (With Tchaikov-

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

sky: .Nutcracker Suite No. 2.) London ll
441. 12-in. $5-95-

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von
Karajan, cond. (With Handel: Water
Music.) Angel 35004. 12-in. $5.95.
— Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski,
cond. (With Debussy: Children's Corner
Suite.) RCA Victor lm 9023. 1 2-in. $5.95.
— Philharmonia Orchestra, Igor Markevitch,
cond. (With Prokofieff: Peter and the
Wolf.) RCA Victor Bluebird lbc 1015.
12-in. $2.98.

— NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Tos-
canini, cond. (With Rossini: Waldteufel.)
RCA Victor lry 9000. 12-in. $5-95-
— French National Symphony Orchestra,
Roger Desormiere, cond. (With Tchaikov-
sky: Swan Lake.) Capitol p 8140. 12-in.
$5.70. Capitol l 8141. 10-in. $3.98.
— Royal Opera House Orchestra, Ernest
Irving, cond. (With Chopin: Les Sylphides.)
Decca dl 9550. 12-in. $5.85.

• — Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. RCA Victor lm 8. 10-in. $4.95.
— Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of
New York, Artur Rodzinski, cond. (With
Tchaikovsky: Mozartiana.) Columbia ml
4048. 12-in. $5.95.

— Orchestra, Andre Kostelanetz, cond.
(With Music of Tchaikovsky.) Columbia
ml 4151. 12-in. $5.95.

— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Kurt

Woss, cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Overture

1812.) Remington 199-87. 12-in. $2.99.

Remington 149-19. 10-in, $1.99.

— Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Paul

Schubert, cond. REGENT MG 5008. 10-in.

$3oo.

(Not available for evaluation: Royale 1421.
Allegro 3064. Royale 6062. Mercury
15017.)

Nutcracker Suite No. 2 (2 Editions)
Several attractive if less well known sec-

tions from the complete score of The Nut-
cracker, Op. 71, have been assembled to com-
pound this second Suite. The ingredients
are: "Winter Dreams," "Waltz of the Snow-
flakes," "Valse Finale," "Divertissement de
Chocolat," and "Pas de Deux," with the
last two being particularly delightful num-
bers.

A slight preference is given to the London
recording, not so much on the basis of
superior sound, though this is indeed lus-
trous, as for Fistoulari's stylish handling of
the music. Fiedler lacks the touch for ballet
music, at least he does here; and though the
orchestral playing is first class, and Victor's
sound quite good, except for a weakness of
highs, the result is less enticing to the ear
than its rival.

— L'Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris,
Anatole Fistoulari, cond. (With Tchaikov-
sky: Nutcracker Suite No. 1.) London ll
441. 12-in. $5-95-

— Boston "Pops" Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler,
cond. (With Khachaturian: Masquerade
Suite.) RCA Victor lm 1029. 12-in. S5.95.

The Sleeping Beauty (Complete.) (1
Edition)

It never has been quite clear why Tchaikov-
sky permitted 12 years to elapse between his
first two ballet scores. It seems improbable
that the comparative failure of Swan Lake
in 1877 could have deterred him, for we
know that he had a poor opinion of the
score. Nor was it usual for the composer to
retire from the field of battle, in the face of
critical opinion; the usual procedure was to
return to the fray, armed with more of the
same music. However, in 1889 he started to
compose his great score for The Sleeping
Beauty, a ballet based mainly on the well
known Perrault fairy tale La Belle au Bois
Dormant. It was superior in its story-line to
Swan Lake, and more fortunate in its setting
• — the palace of a mythical king, whose
guests, courtiers, huntsmen, and elfin visit-
ants could be sumptuously dressed. The
composer rose to the occasion with a score of
infinite rhythmic variety and a profusion of
melody. Waltz, polonaise, gavotte, mazurka
followed each other in riot of orchestral
color. Nor was humor forgotten: in the
numbers devised for Puss in Boots, Red
Riding Hood and the Wolf, Tchaikovsky
outdid himself. Greatly as this score is
esteemed now the richness of its textures,
almost symphonic at times, was rather be-
wildering to the audience at its premiere, and
the work was coolly received.

The features that distinguish the excellent
recording of the complete Swan Lake on
London are all present here. The orchestral
playing in this recording is perhaps a trifle
more stylish and suaver in tone, but we have
the same admirable direction by Fistoulari,
and the same feeling of being present at an
actual performance, thanks to his brilliant
projection with, no doubt, some little
assistance from the engineers.
— L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du
Conservatoire de Paris. Anatole Fistoulari,
cond. London ll 636-637, Two 12-in.
$11.90.

The Sleeping Beauty, Op, 66. (Excerpts)

(8 Editions)
The performances of Ormandy and Stokow-
ski both seem so good to me that I cannot
express a preference for one without feeling

High Fidelity Magazine

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that I am slighting the other. Ormandy, not
usually associated with ballet, seems to have
mastered this score, coming up with a de-
lightful, well-defined reading, considerably
enhanced by Columbia's spacious sound.
The Stolcowslci, one of the vety best of the
early Victor LPs, still has a sound that
shames many a later issue, and the perform-
ance is scintillating in spirit, cunningly con-
trived, and, for this conductot, refreshingly
unaffected. He has, in addition, been ex-
tremely generous in the amount of music
endisked. Much, much less of the score is
to be found on Karajan's recording which,
though beautiful as to sound, is hardly the
equal of his performance of the music on its
obverse side. The London, afflicted with a
background rumble, and offering a rather
leisurely but well-played performance under
Desormiere, only just nudges out the
spirited and well-ordered Lambert reading,
which is handicapped slightly by an older
sound. The Malko I find undistinguished
and graceless.

— Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker
Suite.) Columbia ml 4729. 12-in. $5.95.
— Symphony Otchestra, Leopold Stokowski,
cond. RCA Victor lm 1010. 12-in. 15.95.
— Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von
Karaja n, cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Swan
Lake.) Angel 35006. 12-in. S5.95.
-L'Ochestre du Conservatoire de Paris,
Roger Desormiere, cond. (With Ippolitoff-
Ivanoff: Caucasian Sketches.) London ll
440. 12-in. $5.95.

—Royal Opera Orchestra, Constant Lam-
bert, cond. (With Gounod: I'aust Ballet
Music.) Columbia ml 4 1 36. 12-in. $5.95.
— Philharmonia Orchestra, Nicolai Malko,
cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Romeo and
Juliet.) RCA Victor Bluebird lbc 1007.
12-in. S2. 98.

(Not available for evaluation: Royale 1407.
Allegro 3064.)

Swan Lake, Op. 20 (Complete). (2 Editions)
In accepting the commission offered him in
1875 by the ditectors of the Imperial The-
ater of Moscow, to provide the score for the
ballet production of Le Lac des Cygnes,
Tchaikovsky is frank to admit that he was
motivated by two reasons. One, the fee to be
paid would relieve him of some financial
problems, and two, the offer permitted him
to fulfil a long-nurtured wish to write music
of this type. He had known and admired the
ballets of both Adam and Delibes, and wished
to provide music for the Russian theater
that would not only play an important role
in the ballet, but also provide its own inter-
est. Like most ballets of the day, popular in
Russia, the libretto was founded on a fairy
tale or legend, in which the elements of
tragedy, fantasy and romance were well
mixed. The premiere, which took place in
1877, was by no means successful. A shoddy
production, poor conductor and inferior
dancers were mainly responsible for the
fiasco, but as usual, Tchaikovsky considered
his music to blame, referring to it as "pure
trash." While it may be true that this score
lacks the inventiveness or variety of its two
successors, it is still a remarkable achieve-
ment

The Utania edition is by no means an un-
attractive offering. The overall sound save
for an occasional rough spot, possibly a
tape-joint, is of excellent quality; clean, not
over-brilliant, resonant but not booming.

October, 1954

The orchestral work is good and the direc-
tion careful, and the petfotmance does not
lack for atmosphere. However, London has
all these attributes, and more. Fistoulari,
who conceives the work on a broader scale,
gives the music a more imposing sweep, a
more majestic feeling. The smaller details
are left to themselves; it is the grand pattern
that counts for him, and in achieving this
pattern he gives us the feel of an actual
ballet performance, rather than a ballet re-
cording. The London orchestra, I would say,
is a better aggregation than the Prague. Cer-
tainly they play with more suavity of tone,
and in addition they have been recorded
with rare skill — sound that is resonant,
clear and luminous.

— London Symphony Orchestra. Anatole
Fistoulari, cond. London ll 565-566, Two
12-in. Si 1.90.

— Orchestra of the National Theatre, Prague.
Jaroslav Krombholc, cond. Urania urlp
605, Two 12-in. $11.90.

Swan Lake, Op. 20 (Excerpts) (1 1 Editions)
Quantity and quality ate combined in the
very excellent performance by the Phil-
harmonia under Irving. As a ballet man, he
knows how to project every aspect of this
score, and he has been wonderfully served
by the engineets, who have provided a par-
ticularly fine sound with atmosphere that is
all theater. One of the best buys on records.
There is less of the score on Karajan's grace-
ful reading, but it is well played, and given
Angel's usual faultless sound. The Golsch-
mann has been in the catalog fot a good
number of years, having been processed
from 78s, but it still sounds remarkably
good. The performance is zestful, and the

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excerpts plentiful. There is a good deal ot
charm to Desormiere's performance, but the
recorded sound is badly lacking in bass;
these remarks apply to the 10-inch version
also. A very lush, occasionally syrupy
sound is Kostelanetz's greatest virtue, for
thej'.performance itself is on the slick side.
If the Dorati only had a more modern sound
to it, it would be several steps higher, for his
is an excellent ballet performance. Rignold
can hardly stand the Irving competition,
at the same price, with many less sections
and inferior sound.

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Ernest Irving,
cond. RCA Victor Bluebird lbc 1064.
12-in. $2.98.

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von
Karajan, cond. (With Tchaikovsky: Sleep-
ing Beauty.) Angel 35006. 12-in. $5.95.
— St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir
Golschmann, cond. RCA Victor lm ioo3.
12-in. $5.95-

— French National Symphony Orchestra,
Roger De'sormiere, cond. (With Tchaikov-
sky: Nutcracker Suite.) Capitol p 8140.
12-in. $5.70.

— French National Symphony Orchestra,
Roger De'sormiere, cond. Capitol l 8142.
10-in. J3.98.

— Orchestra, Andre Kostelanetz, cond.
Columbia ml 4308. 12-in. $5.95-
— London Philharmonic Orchestra, Antal
Dorati, cond. Columbia Entre rl 3014.
12-in. $2.98.

— Covent Garden Orchestra, Hugo Rignold,
cond. (With Gounod: Faust Ballet Music.)
RCA Victor Bluebird lbc 1016. 12-in.
I2.98.

(Not available for evaluation: Royale 1319.
Allegro 3059. Royale 6082.)

SYMPHONIC PROGRAM
MUSIC

Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 (12 Editions)
Although Tchaikovsky found Rome to be a
city that both impressed and depressed him,
his visit there in 1880 was not without musi-
cal reward. From it came this Caprice, with
its combination of gay Italian melodies and
vivid and colorful orchestration, one of the
composer's most effective and popular
shorter works.

Beecham's spirited and idiomatic reading
seems preferable to all other versions. Al-
though its sound, still quite bright in tone
after four years, does not match the sheen
of the new Angel's, Galliera hardly finds as
much to extract from the score as does Sir
Thomas. The second Columbia contestant
is Ormandy, in an ear-splitting performance,
due, no doubt, to the immediacy of the
mike. However, the noise does not obscure
a lack of feeling for the work on the part of
the conductor. Schuricht is a trifle unbend-
ing in his direction, but the playing is excel-
lent and London's sound has a nice bloom.
Epic's boom disfigures Van Kempen's per-
formance, otherwise most acceptable both in
direction and execution. The Boston play-
ing can be admired as the first virtue of
Fiedler's impetuous performance, but Vic-
tor's sound is something less than dazzling.
From Malko comes an easy-going, relaxed
reading, not improved by a distant sounding

recording. The Urania is one of the better
records from this company, with clean
sound, not over-bright as has been the case
too often, and a lively reading by Pfliiger.
There is an unattractive aridness to Decca's
sound, and Lehmann hasn't much of an
orchestra to work with. The unnamed con-
ductor on Regent makes rather a hash of the
tarantella, and the recorded sound is no
better than fair.

— Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Sir
Thomas Beecham, cond. (With Bizet:
Carmen Suite.) Columbia ml 4287. 12-in.
*5-95-

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera,
cond. (With Liszt: Les Preludes.) Angel
35047. 12-in. J5.95.

— Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. (With Rimsky-Korsakoff: Capriccio
Espagnol.) Columbia ml 4856. 12-in. $5.95.
— L'Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris,
Carl Schuricht, cond. (With Theme and
Variations from Suite No. 3.) London ll
640. 12-in. S5.95.

— Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam,
Paul Van Kempen, cond. (With Overture
1812/ Romeo and Juliet.) Epic lc 3oo8. i 2-in.
15-95-

— Boston "Pops" Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler,
cond. (With Overture 1812.) RCA Victor
LM 1134. 12-in. 15-95-
— Danish National Orchestra, Nicolai
Malko, cond. (With Overture 1812.) RCA
Victor Bluebird lbc 1014. 12-in. $2.98.
— Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ger-
hard Pfluger, cond. (With Overture 1812.)
Urania ur-rs 7-16. 12-in. $3.50.
— Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Fritz
Lehmann, cond. (With Liszt: Les Preludes.)
Decca dl 7530. 10-in. $3 85.
— Rhineland Symphony Orchestra, Alfred
Federer, cond. (With Wagner: Tannhauser,
Lohengrin excerpts). Regent mg 5058.
10-in. $3.oo.

(Not available for evaluation: Royale 6065.
Allegro 3052.)

Francesca Da Rimini, Op. 32 (8 Editions)
Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini, a fantasy-
overture second only in popularity to his
Romeo and Juliet, was composed in 1876, and
follows the story of Francesca and Paola as
told by Dante in the Fifth Canto of his
Inferno. It is undoubtedly a better-conceived
and more imaginative work than its predeces-
sor, and many consider it the composer's
greatest work in the form of program music.
Others are repelled by what they consider
the bombast and cheapness of his orchestral
tricks. The gruesome picture of souls con-
demned to roam through the second circle
of Hell is indeed wonderfully conjured up
in the fearful and frenzied outer sections.
Between these lie the quiet and plaintive
melody symbolizing the story of Francesca,
one of the composer's appealing airs.

Of the five conductors concerned with
these eight editions, Stokowski achieves the
most spectacular results, even though there
is a good deal of fiddling around with tem-
pos, but the playing is often spectacular, and
Columbia's sound is first rate, better on
ML 4381 than on the earlier release. Jorda,
a dependable conductor, gives a perform-
ance to match, needing perhaps a mite more
thrust in the hellish parts, but nicely warm
in his lyrical moments; the two recordings
are much of a piece, a slightly better string
tone on LL 376, and a more rounded quality
to the sound, not to mention a better coup-

High Fidelity Magazine

FIRST TIME ON RECORDS

BERLIOZ:

Columbia Records is proud to present the world premiere on records of the
great Berlioz Te Deum for Triple Chorus, Solo Tenor and Orchestra, con-
ducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart., world-famous exponent of Berlioz'
music.

Sir Thomas, with his great enthusiasm for Berlioz, directs a monumental
performance of this work which the composer himself described as "colos-
sal, Babylonian, Ninivite!" The performers are the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra; the London Philharmonic Choir; the Dulwich College Boys
Choir; Alexander Young, tenor; and Denis Vaughan, organist. ML 4897

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RECORDS

Anatole Piston lari: in seven {Tchaikovsky
recordings, he is outpointed only twice.

ling. 1 didn't find the Dobrowen particu-
larly attractive at any point, but better in the
middle section'than at either end. The sound
provided by Bluebird seems on the tired
side, and not very forward. Golschmann,
given a sound far better, but by no means
spectacular, doesn't sound very happy with
this score; at least, to judge from his speed;
he would like to be done with ir quickly.
The Borsamsky, a trifle on the Germanic
side in conception, plods along evenly in a
performance not very artistically played, but
given a nicely- proportioned sound.
— Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of
New York. Leopold Stokowski, cond.
(With Romeo and Juliet) Columbia ml 4381.
12-in. $5.95.

— Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of

New York. Leopold Stokowski, cond.

(With Khatchaturian: Masquerade Suite.)

Columbia ml 4071. 12-in. $5.95.

— L'Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris.

Enrique Jorda, cond. (With Romeo and

Juliet.) London ll 376. 12-in. $5.95.

— L'Orchestre de la Socie'te' des Concerts du

Conservatoire de Paris. Enrique Jorda.

cond. (With Prokofieff: Classical Symphony.)

London ll 169. 12-in. $5.95.

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Issay Dobrowen,

cond. (With Brahms: Variations on a Theme

by Haydn.) RCA Victor Bluebird lbc

ioio. 12-in. $2. 98.

— St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Vladimir
Golschmann, cond. (With Romeo and Juliet.)
Capitol p 8255. 12-in. $5.70.
— Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Er-
nest Borsamsky, cond. (With Romeo and
Juliet.) Urania ur-rs 7-22. 12-in. $3.50.

Hamlet — Overture-Fantasy, Op. 67

(3 Editions)
Tchaikovsky's third symphonic composition
on a Shakespearean play was finished in
1888, the year of the Fifth Symphony. It is
dedicated to the Norwegian composer
Edvard Grieg, who may possibly have sug-
gested the idea to his Russian confrere. It is
clearly patterned along the lines of Romeo and
Juliet but, in working to this pattern,
Tchaikovsky failed to repeat the success of
the former work. There are pages that hold
promise of good things to come, but in the
end one feels like Mr. Micawber, still wait-
ing for something to turn up.

October, 1954

Until the MGM record appeared, Boult
had the field practically to himself, but with
the advent of the brilliant sounding, splen-
didly played, and vigorously directed Fis-
toulari performance, he must be consigned
to second place. The Russian-born con-
ductor knows a quadruple forte when he sees
one, and is not averse to producing the
effect it calls for, with ringing brass and
rolling drums. The Boult version has been
long admired, but I feel it could do with a
little more push from the podium, to make
it more arresting. The London sound is hard
to fault, being a little warmer and not as
keen as that of MGM, and the orchestra is
in top form, but that extra drive tells in
MGM's favor. The Mercury pulls up a
rather lame third, for with the passing of
time its sound now seems on the drab side,
except for the drums which still roll thunder-
ously.

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Anatole Fistou-
lari, cond. (With Romeo and Juliet.) MGM
e 3002. i2-in. $4.85.

— London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir
Adrian Boult, cond. (With Overture 1812.)
London ll 582. 12-in. $5.95.
— Stockholm Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Jacques Rachmilovich, cond. (With The
Tempest.) MERCURY MG 101 1 2. 12-in. $4.85.

Manfred, Op. 58 (2 Editions)
The idea for rhis program symphony or
symphonic poem, based on Byron's Alpine
Faustian tragedy, Manfred, came from the
fertile mind of the seemingly ever-present
BalakirefT. It was by no means a new idea,
for he had submitted it some years earlier
to Berlioz, who had refused it on the grounds
of ill health. In 1882, BalakirefT brought it
to Tchaikovsky, complete with an outline
of the form to be used, as had happened
previously with Romeo and Juliet. Three
years later Tchaikovsky started on the score,
completing it in six months. The original
program had been retained, though the com-
poser reversed the order of the second and
third movements. If we overlook a certain
patchiness in its structure, it is one of
Tchaikovsky's most inspired scores. The
musical characterization of rhe violent and
changing moods of the hero is completely
believable. The scene at the waterfall is
portrayed with a discreet delicacy unusual
for Tchaikovsky, while the pastoral scenes
of the third movement have a beauty that is
irresistible. They recall Berlioz, and it is
interesting to speculate what the Frenchman
might have done with this program, had he
accepted it. In the final movement the com-
poser introduces a bacchanal (not to be
found in Byron's poem) which is extremely
effective as a contrast to the ensuing ominous
finale. The work deserves to be better known
than it is, though its extreme length and the
difficulties involved in its performance seem
to debar it from more frequent performance.

Only Toscanini, of modern conductors,
seems to show any interest in this score, and
his scintillating, dynamic and purposeful
statement, played with enormous virtuosity
by the NBC orchestra, is fortunately still
available, with sound that is always aston-
ishingly good at all frequencies. No such
brilliance permeates the Concert Hall ver-
sion, which is lacking in direction from
Gauk, none too well played, and further
marred by a distant, masked overall sound,
most apparent in the small harmonium

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Orchestra & Chorus, Sir Thomas Beecham

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version) /A MUSICAL JOKE (Mozart)
Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet — Westmin-
ster 5315

□ HAROLD IN ITALY (Berlioz) London Phil-
harmonic, Hermann Scherchen, Frederick
Riddle, Viola — Westminster 5288

□ CONCERTO NO. I / CONCERTO NO. 2
( Tchaikovsky ) Edith Farnadi , Vienna
State Opera Orchestra, Scherchen — West-
minster 5309

□ SYMPHONY IN D / LE CHASSEUR MAUDIT
(Franck) Artur Rodzinski, Vienna State
Opera Orchestra — Westminster 531 1

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( Chopin ) Paul Badura-Skoda, Vienna
State Opera Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski —

— Westminster 5308

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(Bart ok) Farnadi, Vienna State Opera
Orchestra, Scherchen — Westminster 5249

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sound of the organ in the final movement.
— NBC Symphony Orchestra. Arturo Tos-
canini, cond. RCA Victor lm io5j. 12-in.
*5-95-

— Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. Alexander
Gauk, cond. Concert Hall chs i3oi.
12-in. $5-95-

Marche Slav, Op. 3i (6 Editions)
In the cause of Pan-Slavism, Tchaikovsky-
wrote this piece (? occasion for a concert given
for the benefit of Russian soldiers wounded
in the Serbo-Turkish war of 1877. It is a
fervent piece of patriotic music, which, by a
skillful mingling of Serbian folk song and
the Czarisr national anthem, implies Russian
symparhy and support for their fellow Slavs,
the Serbians, in their struggle against the
Ottoman Empire. Less frenzied than its
blood brother, the Overture 1812, it is a bold
and effective score, brevity being not the
least of its merits.

Scherchen s laggardly tempo in the open-
ing section, and the way he rushes the clos-
ing moments are the only defects I can find
in the most exciting performance now avail-
able. Add to this excitement the massive
quality of the Westminster sound, particu-
larly effective in the reverberant drums and
the brilliant brass, for a combination rhat is
irresistible. In comparison, the Ormandy,
though given extremely good Columbia
sound, seems tame and unimaginative. The
Boston offering benefits more from Victor's
nicely balanced sound than from Fiedler's
driving direction, which results in a rather
harried performance. The remaining two
entrants are left far behind. The Schuchter,
also available on a 10-inch record (MGM
E 138), is pretty much a run-of-the-mill
affair, though irs sound is reasonable enough,
while Smallens and his orchestra have been
poorly served by the engineers in a record-
ing that is often badly muffled as to sound,
and heavily accented as to direction.
— London Symphony Orchestra, Hermann
Scherchen, cond. (Wirh Overture 1812,
Romeo and Juliet.) WESTMINSTER WL 5282.
12-in. $V9V

— Philadelphia Orchesrra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. (With Overture 1812.) COLUMBIA AL
24. lo-in. $2.85.

— Boston "Fops" Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler,
cond. (With works of Chopin, Rimsky-
Korsakoff, Mendelssohn.) RCA Victor
LM 9027. 12. in. $5.95.
— Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Schuch-
ter, cond. (With Rimsky-KorsakofF: Capriccio
Espagnol.) MGM E 3022. 12-in. $485.
— New York Stadium Orchestra, Alexander
Smallens, cond. Decca dl 4031. io-in.
$2.50.

(Not available for evaluation: Colosseum
107.)

Overture Solonelle, "1812," Op. 49

(14 Editions)
Sixty-eight years after the Russian armies
had repulsed the Napoleonic attack on Mos-
cow, at the Battle of Borodino, Tchaikovsky
produced this clangorous overture to cele-
brate the event. As a piece of patriotic
jingoism it is remarkably effective al-
though, as Rosa Newmarch points out, the
use of the "Marseillaise" and the Russian
National Anthem, to symbolize the warring
forces, is not overly appropriate to theocca-
sion it supposedly describes. The National
Hymn had not then been composed; it
appeared in i833, and the "Marseillaise,"

that song of French freedom, could hardly
have been a great favorite with the forces of
the French despot. But these are small
issues in a work so internationally popular
with conductors and audiences alike. fc„

The Boult sound and fury, although
slightly reserved, has been captured with
impressive realism by London's engineer^
in a recording that is notable for the excel-
lence of the orchestral work, which is all
quality and bite. Westminster has evefi
more brilliant sound, particularly in its brass
and jubilant bells, though the string tone is
not always attractive. These virtues are dis1-
sipated somewhat by Scherchen's willfulness
in matters of tempo, either dragging things
at an excessively slow pace, or rushing them
beyond reason. Van Kempen's is a vivid,
straightforward interpretation, devoid of per-
sonal idiosyncracies, and quite convincing,
but the Epic sound is unbalanced. The
Philadelphians do not astonish in any way:
a beautifully played, fine sounding version,
lacking in excitement. Fiedler, an old hand
at this score, whips up a fine frenzy in
which, unfortunately, the strings are almost
eclipsed. Solid would about describe Mal-
ko's treatment, but the sound is often wiry.
Urania's entrant, woefully weak in bass, is
not made any more attractive by a low level
recording and a performance only so-so.
From Rodzinski comes a carefully pro-
portioned reading, a little on the hard side,
and with sound of an elder vintage. The
Remingtons, which appear to be from the
same master, need strong compensation for
strident highs. The performance is quite
acceptable, though on the forceful side. The
highly individual Mengelberg is probably
worthy of a higher spot, but the now. faded
sound is difficult to take. This was a work
he delighted in, and this pleasure is apparent
here. The same performance was available
on Mercury 15000, also a 10-inch disk, now
delered, a fate the Capitol will suffer as soon
as factory stocks are exhausted.

Decca's muddy sounding version, with
distant string sound and unappealing bells,
is hardly more than fair, while the Royale is
dull in performance, weak in recording and
unbearably hissing in its surfaces.
— London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir
Adrian Boult, cond. (With Hamlet.) LON-
DON LL 582. 12-in. $5.95.
— London Symphony Orchestra, Hermann
Scherchen, cond. (With Romeo and Juliet;
Marche Slav.) Westminster wl 5282.
12. in. $5.95-

— Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam,
Paul Van Kempen, cond. (With Capriccio
Italien; Romeo and Juliet.) Epic lc 3oo8.
12-in. $5.95.

— Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy,
cond. (With Marche Slav.) Columbia al
24. io.in. $2.85.

— Boston "Pops" Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler,
cond. (With Capriccio Italien.) RCA VICTOR
lm 1 1 34- 12-in. $5.95.
— Philharmonia Orchestra, Nicolai Malko,
cond. {With Capriccio Italien.) RCA Victor
Bluebird lbc 1014. 12-in. $2.98.
— Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ger-
hard Wiesenhutter, cond. (With Capriccio
Italien.) Urania ur-rs 7*16. i2«in. $3.50.
— Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Artur
Rodzinski, cond. (With Romeo and Juliet.)
Columbia ml 4049. 12. in. $5.95.
— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Kurt
Woss, cond. (With Nutcracker Suite.) Rem-
ington 199-87. 12-in. $2.99.

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RECORDS

— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Kurt
Woss, cond. (With R. Strauss: Don Juan)
Remington 199-18. i2*-in. $2.gg.
— Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam,
Willem Mengelberg, cond. (With Berlioz:
Damnation of Faust excerpts.) CaPITOL L 8 1 27.
lo-in. $3 98.

—New York Stadium Orchestra, Alexander
Smallens, cond. (With Marche Slav.) DeCCA
DL4031. 10-in. $2.50.

—Radio Symphony Orchestra of Rome.

(With Wagner: Meistersinger excerpts.)

Royale vlp 6065. 10-in. Si. 49.

— Not available for evaluation: Mercury

15000.

Romeo and Juliet — Overture-Fantasia

(20 Editions)
Representing a striking advance over the
composer s two previous major orchestral
efforts, The First Symphony and the sym-
phonic poem Fatum, this impassioned and
eloquent score appeared first in 1869, but
what we hear today is a radically revised
version of 1881. The suggestion for a score
to be rather loosely based on the tragedy of
Shakespeare's Veronese lovers came from
Balakireff, who further offered the musical
outline to be used, plus additional gratuitous
advice and criticism as the work progressed.
In spite of these attempts by Balakireff to
mould the work to his wishes, the score,
with its sudden changes in mood, its melt-
ingly poignant love music, its violent
"feud" section, bears the unmistakable
stamp of Tchaikovsky's genius.

The 20 editions under consideration may
be roughly divided into two categories. The
top seven range from excellent to very good,
the remainder from good to mediocre. In
the final analysis I prefer the crisp, taut
direction of Cantelli, and the expertly played
performance of the Philharmonia men, to
Scherchen's rather supercharged, less lyrical
conception, though the honors for sound
must certainly go to Westminster. A slight
edgy quality in the strings is the only defect
in a recording of staggering resonance and,
in its final drum roll, quite electrifying.
Epic's sumptuous sound, better balanced
than on some of this company's issues, is a
distinct asset to Van Kempen's broadly-
drawn picture. The playing of the Phil-
harmonia under Fistoulari is not as polished
as their work for Cantelli, but the perform-
ance, rather vigorously directed, has been
recorded at close range, and the sound is
certainly admirable. A very stimulating per-
formance by Van Beinum is richly phrased
and sleekly played, with an attractive but not
over-luxuriant sound from London. Tos-
canini, not usually considered to be en
rapport with the music of Tchaikovsky,
gives a masterly reading full of excitement
and tension. The men of the NBC Orches-
tra are in top form, and Victor's engineers
provide a solid sound, reproducing brass and
percussion particularly well. This is music
that responds well to the broad sweep of
Stokowski's approach, and the result is a
juicy performance, large both in perspective
and sound. He uses an ending of his Own
devising, omitting the drum roll, and there
are additional tamperings with the score
that some may find disturbing. The Lam-
bert edition is a little breezy in style, respect-
ably played but not blessed with very vibrant
sound, whereas the latter ingredient is the
chief virtue of Kostelanetz's slick, somewhat

OCTOBER RELEASES

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PROKOFIEFF: Symphony No. 4, op. 47

The Age of Steel (Ballet) op. 41
The Prodigal Son (Ballet) op. 46

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Complete Operetta
Zorn, Richter, Ritzmann, Pallesche, Westemayer;
mphony Orchestra & Chorus of Radio Leipzig — H. Kegel, Cond.
2 12" URLP 238 $11.90

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade, op. 35

Symphony Orchestra of Radio Berlin — Karl Rucht, Cond.
AND

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol, op. 34

Symphony Orchestra of Radio Leipzig — Rolf Kleinert, Cond.
1 12" URLP 7133 $5.95

DVORAK: Symphony No. S, in E Minor, op. 95

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October, 1954

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RECORDS

Howard Hanson conducting the
Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra

Piston Symphony No. 3.
MG40010

Frederick Fennell conducting the
Eastman Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Reed Lo Fiesto Mexicana
Mennin Camona; Persichetti Psolm;
Hanson Chorale and Alleluia;
Thomson A Solemn Music.
MG4001 1

aim;

Recent Releases

Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Minneapolis Orchestra/
Dorati conducting. MG50034

★

0034^

Ravel La Volse; faure Povane; Franck
Psyche. Detroit Orchestra, Paray
conducting. MGS0029

Schumann Symphony Mo. 4; Liszt Les
Preludes. Detroit Orchestra, Para/
conducting. MG50036

★

Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.
Minneapolis Orchestra,
Dorati conducting. MG50033

★

Kodaly Peacock Variations; Bartok
Miraculous Mandarin Suite. Chicago
Orchestra, Dorati conducting.

MG50038

★

Schubert "Unfinished" Symphony;
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet, Over-
ture-Fantasia. Chicago Orchestra,
1 Dorati conducting. MG50037

superficial performance. Capitol's bright,
open sound is infinitely more attractive
than the Golschmann performances it repro-
duces, in which the conductor's handling
of tempos is too arbitrary for my taste. Of
the remainder, only Mengelberg's arouses
any interest, and that only on the score of
certain unconventionalities in his perform-
ance, for the sound is frayed

Philharmonia Orchestra, Guido Cantelli.
cond. (With Mussorgsky: Pictures at an
Exhibition.) RCA VICTOR LM 1719. 12-in,
S5.95.

-London Symphony Orchestra, Hermann
Scherchen, cond. (With Marche Slav; Over-
ture 1812 ) Westminster wl 5282. 12-in.
$5-95-

— Concertgebouw Orchestraof Amsterdam,
Paul Van Kempen, cond. (With: Capriccio
Italien; Ove rture 18/2.) Epic LC 3oo8. 12-in.
$5-95-

— Philharmonia Orchestra, Anatole Fis-

toulari, cond. (With Hamlet) MGM E

3002. 12-in. S4.85.
I — London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eduard

Van Beinum, cond. (With Francesca da

Rimini.) London ll 376. 12-in. S5.95.
\ — NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Tos-

canini, cond. (With Berlioz: Romeo a/id
! Juliet.) RCA Victor lm 1019. 12-in. $5.95.
I — Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of
I New York, Leopold Stokowski, cond.

(With Francesca da Rimini.) Columbia ml
. 4381. [2-in. S5.95.

j — Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of
1 New York, Leopold Stokowski, cond
I (With Wagner: Gotterdammerung excerpts.)
Columbia ml 4273. 12-in. S5.95.

MUSI1

C FOR PERCUSS

— Symphony Orchestra, Constant Lambert,
cond. (With The Sleeping Beauty.) RCA
Victor Bluebird lbc 1007. 12-in. $5.95.

-Orchestra, Andre Kostelanetz, cond.
(With: Waltzes of Tchaikovsky) Columbia
ml 4546. 12-in. $5-95-
- St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir
Golschmann, cond. (With Francesca da
Rimini.) Capitol P 8225. 12-in. S5.70.
— Cleveland Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski,
cond (With Overture 1812.) COLUMBIA ML
4049. 12-in. S5.95.

— Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam,
Willem Mengelberg, cond. (With Liszt:
Les Preludes.) COLUMBIA ENTRE RL 3039.
12-in. S2.98.

— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Kurt
Woss. cond. (With Ippolitoff-lvanoff:
Caucasian Sketches.) Remington 199-88.
12-in. S2.99.

— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Kurt
Woss, cond. Remington 149-31. 10-in.
Si. 99-

— Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jose
Eibenschutz, cond. (With Francesca da
Rimini.) URANIA UR-RS 7-22. 12-in. $3.50.

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Fritz
Lehmann, cond. (With Liszt: Hungaria.)
DECCADL7544. loin. $3.85.

-Rhineland Symphony Orchestra, Alfred
Federer, cond. Regent mg 5037. 10-in.
$3.oo.

The Tempest Symphonic Fantasia. Op.

t8 (4 Editions)
Of the trio of Tchaikovsky's musical essays
on Shakespearean themes, the middle mem-
ber, The Tempest, written in 1873, is by far

Boston

f^m? RECORDS

dramatic pair of com-
positions for percussion:
Farberman's Evolution
and Chavez' Toccata
for Percussion

H For a change of musical pace . . . for
■ on outstanding example of the beouty

v and ronge of the percussion section of

a symphony orchestra — and, if you
are a hi-fi enthusiost searching for a
challenging record, put "Boston
B-207" on your must list.

Harold Farbermon, who has been o
member of the percussion section of
the Boston Symphony since 1 950,
composed Evolution; Music for Per-
cussion to demonstrate the melodic
and tonal potential of his section. It is
scored for 25 seporote instruments
ond for horn and soprano voice.

In Toccata for Percussion, scored
for 1 1 types of instruments, Chavez
draws upon the great love of the
Aztec civilization for the sound of
bells ond chimes . . . thus the second
movement is primarily a variation on
the metollic tonalities of chimes and
bells, in contrast to which the passion-
ate, percussive quolity of the sur-
rounding drum movements act as a
strong relief motif.

Special effort hos been mode in this
wide-range record to preserve the rich
ond diverse tonolities of the percus-
sion choir.

Symphony Chambers, 246 Huntington Ave., Boston, Mass.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

the weakest. That the composer imagined
the characters of Caliban, Prospero, Ariel,
and the pictorial aspects of the plot offered
a suitable subject for a fantasia is evident
from his choice of The Tempest over the two
other subjects "lvanhoe" and "Tara Bulba"
suggested to him by the critic Vladimir
StassofT. It would seem that the fires of in-
spiration were burning low at the birth of
this composition, for it is an unusually
pallid and dull score, that never really holds
one's interest for more than a few moments.

The work is not very well served in either
of the two recordings under consideration.
Rachmilovich works hard to keep the work
going, and his orchestra responds nobly, but
the engineers have endisked a dull, flat
sound, frequently fuzzy, with a mike-place-
ment that is too distant.

The Fekete reading, less energized, has a
brighter, closer, cleaner sound, but the brass
work is raucous, and the surface noise
obtrusive.

Listeners are advised to wait for a new
recording. The Fekete performance on
Remington is, in all probability, the same as
that to be heard on Etude 706. The Colos-
seum has been withdrawn for re-processing.
— Stockholm Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Jacques Rachmilovich, cond. (With Ham-
let.) Mercury mg 101 12. 12-in. $4.85.
— Austrian Symphony Orchestra, Zoltan
Fekete, cond. (With Rimsky-Korsakoff:
Le Coq D' Or Suite.) Rrmington r 199-55.
12-in. $2.99.

(Not available for evaluation: Etude 706.
Colosseum i 12/13.)

Mozartiana. Op. 61 (2 Editions)
In view of Tchaikovsky's avowed admira-
tion for Mozart, whom he considered to be
"the greatest of all composers," and "the
Christ in music," it is odd that we find so
little trace of the Austrian Wunderkind's
influence in Tchaikovsky's music. A few
scattered minuets, and this fourth orchestral
suite complete the catalog of such music,
which in the end is always four parts Tchai-
kovsky and one parr Mozart. The four
movements derive from the following Moz-
art compositions: 1. Gigue: Gigue in G
(K.574) for piano. 2. Minuet: Minuet in
D (K.3}}) for piano. 3. Preghiera (Prayer):
A loose rendering of Liszt's piano setting of
Mozart's moret "Ave Verum Corpus" (K.biS).
4. Theme and Variations. Based on Mo-
zart's Variations on "Unser Dummer Pobel
Meint" (/C.455) from Gluck's opera Pilgrims
of Mecca.

There is very little to choose between the
two performances, and if I favor the Fis-
toulari, it is merely because the sound on the
MGM recording is brighter and cleaner than
on the older Columbia version. Fistoulari
is sometimes a trifle heavy, in the latter parr
of section four particularly, but on the whole
his is a more supple reading. Rodzinski
does not lack for sparkle, and his reading is
well managed indeed, but sound tips the
scales in his competitor's favor.
— Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Anat-
ole Fistoulari, cond. (With The Slippers.)
MGM E 3026. 12-in. $4.85.
— Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of
New York, Artur Rodzinski, cond. (With

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October, 1954

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shipped C.O.D. Sorry ... no open
accounts.

dlC $H)ll$tC Bos

MAIN STREET
GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a.) Columbia ml
4048. 12-in, $5.95.

The Slippers — Suite for Orchestra (1 Edi-
tion)

It may be that the remainder of Tchaikov-
sky's score for his opera The Slippers is
superlative stuff, capable of justifying the
claims of those critics who consider it to
be among the finest music he wrote. Cer-
tainly this six-section suite can hardly be
said to support that contention for, with
the exception of a vivid introduction, it is
pretty conventional stuff, with an all-too-
familiar ring to it.

There is a rather slick sound here, occa-
sionally edgy in the strings, but in the main
quite agreeable, and Fistoulari keeps the
performance moving well, with a strong,
occasionally brusque treatment of the score.
— Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Anat-
ole Fistoulari, cond. (With Mozartiana.)
M-G-M E 3026. 12-in. $4.85.

ORCHESTRAL
MISCELLANY

Concert-Fantasia for Piano and Or-
chestra, Op. 56 (1 Edition)
There is so much that is genuinely attractive
about this Concert-Fantasia, both orches-
trally and pianistically, that its almost com-
plete neglect is hard to fathom. I don't
mean to infer that it is any long-lost master-
piece, but a work that has so many pages of
felicitous writing for the solo instrument,
including a cadenza of 11 pages, should
surely appeal to one of our virtuoso pianists.

hunjerstorms
Made to Or Jar!

Now you can frighten your
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of yourself among your
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Order Audiophile Record

AP-20 (12 inch-33H RPM)

and you will receive your
own private thunderstorm
(tlie real tiling) and some
other racket too! Interesting
listening and a challenge
to your equipment.

* I'ropaiJ

AUDI/PHILE RECORDS inc.

SAUKV1LLE. WISCONSIN

in place of another performance of the com-
poser's well worn first piano concerto.

A two-movement work, its tightly knit
"Quasi Rondo" is followed by an undeni-
ably prolix second movement titled "Con-
trasts," which has the annoying habit of
being ready to stop, in at least two places,
before reaching its inevitable conclusion.
Yet the work is sprinkled with so many good
tunes, from the composer's seemingly inex-
haustible supply of melody, and has such a
sprightly air about it, that it is hard to see
why it should not be revived with success.
So far as 1 can discover, the work has never
been committed to disks before.

It would be pleasant to report that the
recording is a complete success, but it isn't.
The piano tone has a tendency to shallow-
ness, and there are moments of orchestral
"peaking." Goehr is always in the picture,
providing proper support, though the play-
ing doesn't always sound first class. Mew-
ton-Wood, on the other hand, gives a tower-
ing performance of the difficult solo part,
with a dashing display of virtuosity in the
long (playing time, eight minutes) cadenza.

Mewton-Wood. Winterthur Symphony

Orchestra, Walter Goehr, cond. Concert
Hall chs i 126. 12-in. $5.95.

The Seasons, Op. 37. The Months,

Op. 37a (2 Editions)
In spite of the disparity in titles and opus
numbers, these two editions are being con-
sidered as competitive versions of the same
basic work. Responding to a commission
to supply a piano piece for each month of
the year, Tchaikovsky produced this musical
calendar of 12 short, lyrical compositions.
They are no more than salon music, of the
kind exceedingly popular in the late 19th
century. Only two of them, Barcarolle
(June) and Troika en Traineaux (November)
are heard with any frequency to-day.

Miss Wollmann, presenting them in their
original form, plays with warmth and under-
standing, never trying to push them beyond
their small limits, or trying to impress on
them a too-personal viewpoint. The re-
corded piano sound is extremely good. Mr.
Gould has arranged them for piano and
orchestra, without adding anything to their
intimate, basic charm. The playing is
always bright, a term that also applies to
Columbia's sound, though the piano tone
is occasionally a little too percussive in
quality.

— Eva Wollmann, piano. Westminster wl
5290. 12-in. $5.95.

— Orchesrra. Morton Gould, cond. Colum-
bia ml 4487. 12-in. $5.95.

The Snow Maiden, Op. 12 (1 Edition)
In 1873, Tchaikovsky wrote some incidental
music for Ostrovsky's play "The Snow
Maiden" {Snegourotchka)t consisting of an
introduction and 18 numbers, 12 of which
were vocal. Much of the material is adapted
from folk tunes, while the introduction itself
is the introduction originally written for
Tchaikovsky's opera Undine, which was
never produced. The subject of the Snow
Maiden had greatly intrigued Tchaikov-
sky, who intended to write an opera around
it, but he delayed so long that in 1882
Rimsky-Korsakoff forestalled him by pro-
ducing his opera of the same name.

There is an almost even ratio between the
vocal and orchestral excerpts recorded here.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

RECORDS

The performances may be taken to be
authentic in style, but neither tenor nor
mezzo-soprano involved sound like first-
class artists. The choral work is consider-
ably better, and the orchestral work lively
but rough. The recorded sound is no great
credit to Concert Hall, lacking body.
— State Radio Orchestra of the USSR,
Alexander Gauk, cond. A. Orfenov, tenor;
Z. Dolokhanova, mezzo-soprano. Chorus.
Concert Hali. cms i3oi. 12-in. $5.95.

Variations on a Rococo Theme for
Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33 (1 Edition)
Light in texture, graceful in contour, this
flirtation with the eighteenth-century style
appeared when the composer was 36. It has
a carefree, elegant air to it, with only an
occasional tempestuous outburst from the
solo instrument to punctuate its well-bred
serenity.

The performance, while good, is not
always successful, mainly because the soloist
is not always able to surmount the technical
difficulties involved. For a virtuoso work of
this kind, the microphone has been cor-
rectly placed to bring the soloist to the fore,
without throwing the balance out of focus.
Ansermet's support is splendid indeed, and
the sound always true and pleasing,
— Maurice Gendron, cello. L'Orchestre de
la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet, cond.
London ll 947. 12-in, $5.95,

The remaining recorded
works of Tchaikovsky will
be dealt with in a future
issue of High Fidelity.

^ Record Market

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October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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High Fidelity Magazine

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"TESTED INI mi WOME

These reports may not be quoted or reproduced, in part or in whole, in any form whatsoever, without written permission from the publisher.
Because of space limitations we normally attempt to report only on products of wide general interest. Thus, omission does not, per se, sig-
nify condemnation, although reports are seldom made on equipment that is obviously not reasonably high in fidelity. — Each report is sent
to the manufacturer before publication; he is free to correct the specifications paragraph, to add a comment at the end, or to request that
the report be deferred (pending changes in his product) or not published at all. He is not permitted, however, to amend or alter the report

University Companion

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): The Companion
is a combination of a small speaker system with an electric clock
and timer. Bass and middle ranges are produced by a Diffusicone
eight-inch speaker in a distributed-port type of bass-reflex en-
closure; a 4401 horn-type tweeter handles high frequencies.
Crossover network is LC type, with level control for tweeter.
Available in cherry or blonde mahogany finish. Six*: 9% in.
high by 24 wide by 10 deep. Impadanc*: 8 ohms. Price: $99.50.
Wrought-iron legs, optional, $6.00 extra. Manufacturer: Univer-
sity Loudspeakers, Inc., 80 South Kenisco Avenue, White
Plains, N. Y.

University's Larry Epstein wrote recently that the Com-
panion "is intended primarily for the music lover who
desires a small, compact reproducer of highest quality
consistent with the most space-saving dimensions. As a
consequence, we employed dimensions compatible with
bookshelves and the usual run of furniture . . . keeping
one eye, of course, at all times on the [esthetic appeal]
of its lines ... As much attention was given the appear-

The Companion — designed for good sound and wide market appeal.

ance of the Companion as to its electrical and acoustical
design. We feel that we have taken a completely new and
refreshing approach to this problem . . ."

There's no doubt that the speaker is unusual in appear-
ance for hi-fi equipment, and that it will blend well with
modern decors. When used without the legs it will cer-
tainly be inconspicuous in many more settings. So far, fine.

October, 1954

We're a little more concerned about the clock. This is
a standard Sessions clock timer, operating as a continu-
ous timepiece as long as it is plugged into an AC outlet.
In addition, there is an AC outlet on the back that can
be switched a) on and off manually, or b) on automatically
at any time up to twelve hours from the time of setting;
it can then be turned off manually or it turns itself off
after about 1V2 hours. The outlet and switch are capable
of handling up to 15 amperes, so that any normal appliance
can be operated by the clock (including a recorder or com-
plete hi-fi system.) Obviously, such a device will be ap-
preciated by a great many — those who want an ordinary
timepiece in the same room as the speaker system, and
those who want the automatic timer feature for any of
many conceivable purposes. But what of those who
don't? This mechanism represents a significant part of
the total cost to the consumer that will be wasted if he
doesn't use the clock. We believe that, like the legs, it
should be "optional at extra cost."

The sound, for an enclosure of this size, is up to Uni-
versity's high standard. The level control on the tweeter
is a good idea — we found that the best setting for our
ears in the room where we do our listening was about half
way on. Bass was surprisingly full, and definition in the
middles and highs was good even at high levels. As can
only be expected in an enclosure of substantially less than
two cubic feet, excessive bass boost in the amplifier can-
not be used. But if this precaution is followed the system
can be driven at ear-shattering volume without "break-
ing up."

Even in pocket-sized speaker systems such as this, there
are marked differences in types of sound (not necessarily
quality — depends on what you like.) We're certain that a
lot of people will like this, and with good reason. — R. A.

MANUFACTURER'S COMMENT: Regarding the reference to the built-in clock,
the matter of "optional" equipment was given considerable thought. Con-
sensus of opinion (at the factory, an Audio Pair, and in home field-tests) con-
vinced us that the clock should be included. We believe the added conveni-
ences to the user .... will be greatly appreciated once it is put to continued
use.

Incidentally, since the point of cost has been raised, 1 might add that the
clock itself accounts for a very minor percentage (manufacturer's cost is sur-
prisingly reasonable). Our use of high quality items from our standard high
fidelity line, rather than compromised lower cost versions, plus use of selected
woods and careful design and fabrication of the cabinet (after all, it is an
acoustic enclosure) accounts for the final performance and price.

103

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Mitchell 3-DB Phonograph

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): a packaged auto-
matic record changer, amplifier and speaker system, usable as
table-top cabinet or with wrought-iron legs. Changer mechanism:
has standard three speeds and a neutral position, in which rub-
ber drive wheels are disengaged to prevent formation of flat
spots. Ten and twelve-in. records of same speed can be inter-
mixed. Cartridge: triple-play magnetic; response 30 to 15,000
cycles. Controls: AC on-off and volume; Bass; Treble; Equaliza-
tion (LP, AES, Flat, Old 78, Scratch Filter). Bass and treble
controls are continuously variable, furnish boost or cut. Dimen-
sions: 17 3/16 in. wide by 25 high by 25 deep; height less legs,
13^. Price: $199.95 in mahogany. Manufacturer: Mitchell
Manufacturing Company, 2525 N. Clybourn Avenue, Chicago
14, 111.

Felicitous is the word.

Put yourself in my place. A large listening room, ever-
lastingly jammed with a constantly changing assortment
of equipment. A long bench of test equipment, with dozens
of jacks and plugs. If all the plugs are pulled, there is some
chance that the "normal" set-up, which operated yesterday,
would again operate today. But under any circumstances,
listening to a record is difficult for the initiated and im-
possible for the uninitiated.

Into this you inject a wife. One who enjoys hi-fi a lot,
and also enjoys listening to music. A sympathetic and
understanding one, albeit, who has heard a great deal of
sonic splendor (and horror, too!). One who, when frus-
trated to the exploding point, has been heard to murmur
on rare occasions, "I wish I could play a record some-
times."

One day not long ago there arrived a largish carton,
containing a Mitchell phonograph. It was duly unpacked
and the iron legs screwed on. In a moment of blinding in-
spiration, it was lugged into my wife's sewing and work
room. . . plugged into an AC outlet. . . a record put on,
a button pushed, and out came music. Right good music,
too, if I do say so! As I said, felicitous is the word.

Furthermore, I — a hi-fi man if ever there was one -can
look at the Mitchell without paling. The changer is a good

The' Mitchell — simple to operate, reasonably high infidelity.

104

one, which will treat precious LPs with reasonable care.
The cartridge is a GE in which I have already installed a
diamond-tipped stylus. There are separate bass and treble
controls, and (to delight me) an equalization control
marked: LP, aes, flat, old 78, and sf.

Those positions are fairly self-explanatory. The SF means
"scratch filter" and really cuts the highs. "Old 78" cuts
at 7,500 cycles.

The controls all have a noticeable effect on the tonal
balance of the sound; the tone control range is considerable.
The speaker is mounted in a small but slotted enclosure of
careful design which produces surprisingly good acoustic
results. A separate remote speaker, in the same type of
enclosure, is available also.

No, of course it won't stand up in comparison with
$2,000 worth of hi-fi stuff in the room next to it. But there
is a great deal to be said for it, even if it never did anything
more than improve domestic relations. It's easy to install
and to use, and the hi-fi enthusiast around the house won't
suffer too badly when it's being played; there's some danger
he may even sit down and relax a while with it. — C. F.

James B. Lansing "Hartsfield"

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): A "two-step"
loudspeaker system comprising a carefully designed enclosure
complemented with either of two speaker systems. The enclosure
is designed to produce optimum results with either the Jim Lan-
sing D208 8-in. speaker or with a two-speaker theatre system
including a D150-4C 15-in. woofer, 500-cycle crossover network,
and a No. 375 high-frequency driver with horn. When used with
the 8-in. speaker, the rear of the speaker is loaded with an expo-
nentially tapered, curved horn over 10 ft. in length. Cabinet dimen-
sions: height without toe-kick, 45^ in.; width, 45^ in.; depth,
24 Yi in.; depth from front of enclosure to wall corner, 31 Yv in.
Shipping weight (without speaker units): 1351b. Prices: enclosure
only: mahogany, $309.00; blond, $318.00. Speaker kits: 8-in.
208DH with rear horn extension, $66.00. Theatre system 085
(woofer, crossover network, tweeter) kit: $417.00. Address:
James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., 2439 Fletcher Drive, Los Angeles
39, California.

If you would like a good demonstration of what this speaker
system can do, put your best full-orchestra record on the
turntable, adjust the tweeter to middle or low position, and
turn the volume up gently; don't play it too loud. Be sure
it's your best record, one you have always thought had
plenty of clarity without undue high-end shimmer. I think
you will find the effect just about the same as washing the
kitchen windows: the improvement in clarity is surprising.
Individual instruments stand out, separate and distinct.
The double-bass will growl instead of grumble; drums and
tympani have a "spat" instead of a plop sound; and — to
take a little of the bitter with the sweet — if there is any
tendency of the extreme highs to excessive shimmer or
sizzle, that tendency will be quite obvious. In other words,
if the sound source — records, radio, or tape — is good,
every bit of goodness will show up; if it's at all bad, the
badness will show up all too clearly.

That's my general impression of the Hartsfield with the
theatre-system speakers installed. The woofer used in this
system is a stiff-coned job; the result is the spat of the
drums as opposed to the plop which a softer-coned speaker

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Presence, clarity, fine transient response mark the Hartsfield.

would give. It seems a little silly to talk about the high-
frequency unit as a "tweeter." One thinks of a tweeter as
something that can be held in the palm of your hand. This
one has a "pot" on it bigger than that on many 15-in.
woofers and it feeds into a long horn. The sound is diffused
by the Jim Lansing "Koustical" lens system (the corrugated
affair at the top of the cabinet in the illustration).

And thereby, shall we say, hangs a tale . . . most tweeters
take over fairly high up say 2,000 cycles. Some go as
low as 600 cycles. This one crosses over to the woofer at
500 cycles and is still active as low as 350 cycles. Hence
the big pot, to house a big magnet, and the feeling of
brilliance and presence. If the sound, in a particular
acoustic surrounding, is too bright, the level of the high
frequency unit can be adjusted, relative to that of the
woofer, by a three-position switch on the crossover net-
work. I would suggest that this adjustment be made once
and for all, using the best possible program source, such
as live FM or an exceptional record. After that, minor ad-
justment of the treble tone control or, on records, the
treble equalization control, will compensate for variations
in sound source. For example, some records sounded too
brilliant to me in some of my tests; adding one notch of
treble de-emphasis did the trick every time.

The middles and lows are, as I said, remarkable for their
clarity. Apparently the woofer has very fine transient
response. There is practically no feeling whatsoever of
the sound coming from a loudspeaker; the illusion of
the live instruments being in the room is exceptionally
good. Part of this may be due to the fact that the speakers
are very efficient; switching from a notably inefficient (but
pleasant-sounding) foreign-made speaker to the Hartsfield
called for cutting the volume control down by almost
a full half-turn. One more point: even with the volume
level down, the Hartsfield holds the music out in the
room and doesn't let it collapse back into the cabinet. As
I have said, the feeling of projection is excellent.

I tried out the enclosure with the 8-in. speaker. It made
me feel a little silly, using such a big enclosure for so small
a speaker. The trend nowadays is to try for stupendous re-

OCTOBER, 1954

suits from an 8-incher in a one foot cube of an enclosure,
and here I was rear-loading a small speaker with 10 feet
and more of exponential horn! The result was quite aston-
ishing (and showed once again that there's nothing to equal
a big enclosure, regardless of speaker size). Of course, the
lows were not as good; hit a good pedal note and the strug-
gle was great but not always successful. Nevertheless, if
you want to budget your speaker system, this is a good
answer because you can start with an 8-in. unit in the en-
closure and graduate to the theatre-system at a later date.

Obviously, I'm enthusiastic about this system. It's a
brilliant speaker, but not the brightest I have heard; not
soft and mellow, but precise. If I had to sum up my im-
pressions in one sentence, something along these lines
would probably be as good as any: it reveals the splendor
of the music. C. F.

MANUFACTURER'S COMMENT: Top-flight designers today fee! that many of the
actual finishing components or parts have real esthetic design value. In line
with this idea, we nave introduced in our enclosure design the interesting
pattern^ created by our serpentine acoustic lens. However, we are aware
that this may appear to some as too radical, so we are making available a
protective frame of matching grille cloth. This frame fits flush around the
lens, giving an overall grilled appearance to this area.

Pickering 190D Arm and
132E Compensator

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): ARM — a rede-
signed shorter version of the old 190 model; long extension
back of vertical pivot has been replaced by large heavy knob,
but distance between pivot and stylus has been retained. Arm
will operate now with standard turntable on 1 7 by 1 7 in. mount-
ing board. Minimum vertical mass has been achieved by sus-
pending cartridge in hinged clip; arm does not move vertically.
Main pivot friction, less than 3 gram-centimeters. Tracking error,
less than ± 2 degrees. Arm is statically balanced around pivot.
Adjustments: tracking force (stylus pressure); height above
mounting board (J^ to 2 in.); counterbalance weight; leveling
screws. Single-hole mounting. Price: $31.50. COMPENSATOR
— redesigned (but with same model number as previous version)
to add the RCA-RIAA-new NARTB-new AES curve. Compensa-
tor requires no power, is intended for use between cartridge and
a preamplifier with fixed equalization. Six equalization positions:
European 78, Old LP, Old AES, RIAA, Max. Highs-Max. Bass,
and Noisy Records. Can be mounted in any position. Price:
$12.00. Manufacturer: Pickering & Company, Inc., Oceanside,
N.J.

The Pickering model 190
arm has been a standard
with which others were
compared ever since its in-
troduction in the early days
of high fidelity and with
good reason. Nothing was
compromised in its design
that would affect its high
performance and ability to

treat records gently. Arm Pickering shortens the 190.
resonance is well damped

and is outside the audible range. Pivot friction is reduced
to a virtually irreducible minimum. The main body of the
arm doesn't move vertically at all; the cartridge, at the
proper offset angle, is mounted in a small clip hinged to the
arm. Accordingly, the weight that must be moved up and

105

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Modernized 132E compensator

down by a warped record and by groove pinching is min-
imized also. Finally, the arm is balanced about its pivot to
provide immunity to jarring motions and to prevent record
wear if the turntable is not absolutely level.

The most important disadvantage of the old model 190,
from the practical point of view, was its length. A long
extension beyond the pivot, containing a weight for static
balancing, lengthened the already-long arm to the point
that an inordinate amount of mounting space was required.
And here lies the difference between the 190 and the 190D:
the length of the overhang behind the pivot. As the photo
shows, the balancing weight has been shaped into a stubby
knob; the new arm and a typical manual turntable will now
fit on a 17 by 17 in. mounting board. Still, considerable
space, but now within reason — and without sacrifice of
performance. Nice going, Mr. Pickering.

With the addition of the
new standard playback
curve, the 132E compen-
sator has been brought up
to date. It furnishes a
convenient and inexpen-
sive way to obtain variable
record equalization for
those who have preampli-
fiers with fixed equaliza-
tion. Because treble roll-
off is obtained in part by
means of resistive cartridge termination, however, and the
compensator was designed with the Pickering cartridge in
mind, it will not work with low-impedance cartridges.
Equalization will be precise for Pickering, approximate for
other high-impedance magnetic cartridges. The preampli-
fier it is used with should have an input impedance of
47,000 ohms; if it does not, the necessary circuit change is
simple. — R. A.

Regency HF- 1 50 Amplifier

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): combined preamp-
equalizer, control section, and power amplifier on one chassis.
Input receptacles on top of chassis; output terminals and three
switched AC outlets on back of chassis. Inputs: two high-level,
for tuner, tape recorder, TV or crystal cartridge; one for magnetic
cartridge. Controls: combined AC on-off and bass (+18 to -18 db,
40 cycles); treble (+14 to -20 db, 20,000 cycles); loudness con-
trol (continuous); level or volume; selector and equalization
switch. Hum adjustment on back panel. Output impedance: 4, 8,
16 ohms. Rated Power: 12 watts; 25 watts on peaks. Response:
20 to 40,000 cycles, ± 14 db. Distortion: less than 2% IM, 40 and
7,000 cycles 4:1, 12 watts. Damping factor: 8. Hum and noise:
-60 db from 12 watts in phono position of selector switch. Tubas:
2-12AX7, 12AU7, 2-6V6GT, 5Y3GT. Dimensions: SlA in. deep
by 13^ wide by 7 high. Pries: $99.50. Monufactursr: Regency
Division, I.D.E.A., 7900 Pendleton Pike, Indianapolis 26, Indiana.

Combine a preamplifier-control section that is adequate
for any but the more elaborate sound systems, with a superb
power amplifier — one that, in our opinion, equals any in
its power class — sell the combination for about $ioo, and
you'll have a unit competitive with the Regency HF-150.
You won't find the job an easy one.

106

The Regency HF-150 — distinguished by truly noble performance.

The control-preamplifier section, while not the most
versatile one around, has many nice features. Separate and
continuously-adjustable loudness and volume controls fur-
nish the maximum flexibility in loudness compensation
with the least complexity, since the compensation is avail-
able to any degree on all input channels and the need for
switches and input level controls is obviated. Bass and
treble tone controls cover a substantial range quite smooth-
ly; according to our checks they meet the specifications on
the nose. The preamplifier is sensitive enough to take a
Fairchild cartridge directly, and the noise level low enough.
Only three equalization curves are available, but they appear
to be well chosen. The Flat 500 position is actually equal-
ized for European 78s; the AES position appears to be the
new AES which is, of course, the RIAA-RCA-new NARTB
curve also. The position labeled NARTB, on the other
hand, seems to be the previous NARTB curve, with 16 db
rolloff at 10,000 cycles. All new records, therefore, can be
equalized precisely without using the tone controls, and all
older records with minor tone control corrections in some
cases.

We wish that designers would remember that there are a
good many installations with both turntables and record
changers, and would therefore provide for two magnetic
cartridges. But very few do, and Regency didn't either.
Nor did they furnish a tape output jack. The last omission
will be considered more serious by some than the minimum
equalization facilities. That $100 limit, we suppose.

When we first tried out this amplifier we were astonished
by the purity of sound it produced; at the price we expected
capability but not virtuosity. The best word to describe
it is that much-abused adjective "clean." We compared
the HF-150 with an amplifying system costing about 2V2
times as much and, at any but room-shaking volume levels,
virtually no difference in quality could be discerned. If this
sounds like high praise, it's because it is intended to be.

For those who don't need or want exceptionally elaborate
control facilities or very high power, the HF-150 merits
most serious consideration. — R. A.

MANUFACTURER'S COMMENT: The model tested did not include the rumble
filter now incorporated in the HF-10.

Our amplifiers reproduce frequencies faithfully down to 20 cycles, which
presents a problem when some record changers are used. This situation it
due to record changer rumble of about 27 cycles which, while not apparently
audible, can nevertheless cause the speaker cone to exceed its normal ex-
cursion and in some cases bottom the voice coil. While the audible power might
be on the order of two watts, the rumble power output can in many cases ex-
ceed 12 watts and, as a result, overload the amplifier. Our solution was the
addition of a rumble filter that can be switched in if necessary, but can be left
out when a rumble-free changer or player is used.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

The Phonomat

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): Foam rubber mat
for turntables or record changers, 10 or 12 in. diameter with
standard 5/16 in. punched center hole. Smaller mat is M in.
thick, for record changers; larger mat is 1/8 in. thick, for manual
tables. Washable. Price $1.75, each size. Manufacturer: Audio
Exchange, Inc., 159-19 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica 32, N. Y.

About a quarter inch of fine foam rubber, cut to fit a io-
inch turntable— that's all there is to the Phonomat I had,
but it's capable of performing some minor miracles. I used
it on an old record changer that rumbled most audibly
through my air-coupler. For the first time, when the records
dropped it didn't sound as if every costly microgroove on
the disks were being mangled. The rumble was cut nearly
in half. (No, it didn't disappear — that would have been a
major miracle.) The magnetic attraction between the car-
tridge and the steel turntable (which increases stylus pres-
sure and record wear) was reduced to insignificance because
of the greater separation. Records no longer pick up dirt
from the nap covering the turntable, since the Phonomat
can be sponged off at intervals or even thrown in the wash-
ing machine. A simple gadget, a simple idea, but really
quite effective. — W. B. S.

Magnecord M-80 Recorder

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): Professional tape
recorder, consisting of the M-80A mechanical tape transport
and the M-80C amplifier; can be installed in standard relay rack,
console, or portable carrying cases. TAPE TRANSPORT — Speed:
7.5 and 15 ips. Starting time less than .1 second. Slapping: less
than 2 in. tape at 15 ips. Timing accuracy: better than 3 seconds
in 30 min. Flutter and wow: less than .1% RMS at 15 ips; .15%
RMS at 7.5 ips. Fast forward and rewind time: less than 45
seconds for lOj^-in. NARTB reel. Dimensions: 19 in. wide by
\2\i high by %y2 deep. Weight: 50 1b. Tubes: 12BH7 oscillator.
AMPLIFIER — input level: microphone, -90 to -30 dbm; balanced
bridge, -30 to +10 dbm; unbalanced bridge, 15 millivolts forO
level recording. Distortion: .53% at +6 dbm output; 1% at
+16 dbm output. Output impedance: 600 ohms, balanced or un-
balanced. Metering: bias, record and playback levels measured
on standard VU meter. Monitoring: phone jack for monitoring
input or recorded signal. Tubes: 2-6BK7, 2-12AU7, 5Y3GT,
12AX7. Dimensions: 19 in. wide by 5 )4 high by 8 J/£ deep. Weight:
15 lb. GENERAL — frequency response: at 15 ips, ±4 db 30 to
20,000 cycles, =t2db30 to 15,000 cycles; at 7.5 ips, ±4db 30 to
15,000 cycles, ±2 db 50 to 10,000 cycles. Noise: -58 db at both
speeds, relative to 3% distortion level at 400 cycles. Price:
Transport mechanism, $950.00; amplifier, $315.00. Manufacturer:
Magnecord Inc., 225 West Ohio Street, Chicago 10, 111.

Ah me! This is the sort of thing we have in mind when we
discuss the differences between professional and home tape
equipment.

What are some of these differences? Why should the
M-8o cost around $1,200 — six times as much as good non-
professional equipment? Well, for one thing, a moderately-
priced home unit which we were working with recently
used (as most in this class do) one motor. It drove the
capstan, and was connected by belts to the take-up and
supply reels. At the bottom of its shaft was a fan blade
which kept the motor cool.

The motor in this unit was just a bit larger than one ot
the motors in the M-8o — a motor which does nothing but

drive a cooling fan! Two much sturdier motors are used
to drive, separately, supply and take-up reels. And a fourth
motor, a whopper, and counter-balanced with a flywheel, is
a hysteresis two-speed job which drives the capstan. These
motors cost money. And four are used to achieve top
results.

Aside from the very important function of reducing wow
and flutter, adequate "motoring" has other advantages: a
small home unit we had ran slow by 3 seconds in 120. We
didn't have a long enough piece of accurately measured
tape to check the M-80, but the specifications call for an
accuracy of =•= 3 seconds in 30 minutes! Look what happens
(or is done, rather) to rewind and fast forward time: 1V2
minutes for a 7-in. reel is about normal for a home unit;
37'/5 seconds was average for 1200 ft. on a 7-in. reel on the
M-80 we tested; 2400 ft. on a io'/S-in. reel whizzed by at an
average of 55 seconds (50 sec. forward, 59 rewinding). It
takes well-balanced motors and linkage to run smoothly
at this speed.

And, of course, three heads — erase, record, and play-
back. Electronic equipment designed for minimum signal
to noise ratio ... 35 to 40 db is good for a "home" unit
(we checked one recently, a minimum-cost unit, which
didn't even erase completely: 27 db). The M-80 specifica-
tions call for 58 db . . . and, naturally, you just don't
hear any background noise (oh, sure, if you turn everything
wide open, even on new tape, you'll hear some hiss).

Operating controls are simple: some on-off switches
(one on the tape transport unit and one on the record-play-
back amplifier chassis), equalization and speed switches
(7V2 and 15 ips); another switch which puts the VU meter
and the monitor headphones jack into either the record or
the playback circuit; input selector switch (low impedance
microphone, balanced and unbalanced line) ; a record-play-

The professional features are obvious in the Magnecord M-80

back switch; record and playback level controls; and, on the
tape transport chassis, four push-buttons. These control:
rewind, stop, forward and FAST forward. All operate
through relays. Under the bank of heads is a lever with
three positions: operate, load and cue. This controls two
so-called compliance arms, which maintain proper tape
tension, and also what might be called the head covers.
In the "load" position, the head covers and the compliance
arms are kept away from the tape slot, to facilitate loading.
In "operate", the head covers move up to hold the tape
against the heads, when the "forward" button is pushed;
when the fast forward or rewind buttons are actuated, the
head covers drop away. This means that the face of the

October,

■954

107

www.americanradiohistorv.com

tape touches only the free-rolling spindle on one compli-
ance arm and the capstan. That reduces tape wear to a
minimum. When in "cue" position, the head covers (cor-
rectly called "tape lifters") hold the tape against the heads
and the push button controls are locked out. Thus the tape
can be rocked back and forth for precise editing or cueing.
A book could be written about the M-80, but this is not
the place. (For the prospective home-user, Magnecord
should write the book; the instruction manual is inadequate
from the non-professional point of view. Such things as
how to connect into a hi-fi system should be covered.) One
more professional point: Magnecord must be populated by
professional wrestlers! The transport mechanism, in its
carrying (?) case, weighs just short of a ton and no one on
our staff is husky enough to carry this unit by its one handle
more than 20 ft.!

Well, this is a beautiful piece of equipment. See what
we mean by "professional"? And why such quality costs so
much? — C. F.

Bozak B-207A 2-Way Speaker

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): a 12-in. woofer
and a pair of cone-type tweeters mounted coaxially on a 15-in.
round aluminum frame. Crossover frequency 2,000 cycles; net-
work built in. Response: 40 to 16,000 cycles; useful to beyond
20,000 cycles. Impedance: 8 ohms. Power capacity: 15 watts,
peaks to 30 watts. Price: $76.50. Manufacturer: The R. T. Bozak
Company, 114 Manhattan Street, Stamford, Conn.

oh| This assembly consists of
— ^ the Bozak B-199A woofer

JU ^^^L and the B-200X dual tweet-

^^TjUB^^L I er mounted coaxially by

jfg f& WL means of heavy metal

straps on a 15-in. heavy
cast aluminum frame; the
combination is known as
model B-207A. When you
^HBB ■:'s"f mount this assembly, you

do not remove the mount-
I ing panel (though you
can if you must); it fits
over holes cut for 12 or
15-in. speakers.
Low frequency response of this loudspeaker is ex-
ceptional; this 12-in. unit really goes down deep and
stirs up plenty of air. We'd suggest that care should be
exercised in choosing a cabinet for the woofer. Probably
a large totally-enclosed design would be best, since horn
or reflex loading might make it hard to balance the rest of
the frequency range with the lows. In fact, we feel that
the B-207A, as it stands, is heavy on the bass. The middles
seem to be somewhat lacking; we'd like to have had an
additional small (8 or 10-in.) mid-range speaker and maybe
another pair of tweeters. Such a combination should be
highly listenable. Someday we're going to persuade Rudy
Bozak to let us try his B-310 system. — C. F.

MANUFACTURER'S COMMENT: We manufacture a Model B-209 mid-range
speaker which may be used to supplement the middles in the B 207A coaxial
assembly, thus making it a three-way system.

X A

Unconventional coaxial speaker
produces deep bass, clean highs.

Cousino Tape Splicer

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): A small block of
plastic with a slot for holding magnetic recording tape in proper
position for splicing, and a diagonal razor guide; blade and pre-
cut tabs of splicing tape furnished. Adhesive backing for easy
attachment. Price: $1.50. Manufacturer: Cousino, Inc., 2325
Madison Avenue, Toledo 2, Ohio.

Tape splicing kit has cutting guide and precut splice tabs.

Scissors work all right for an occasional splice, but this
will do a quicker and much better job. It's simply a piece
of plastic, gummed on the back so you can stick it down
semi-permanently on your recorder or work bench, with a
quarter-inch slot running the length of the splicer for the
tape and another narrow slot running diagonally across the
tape slot, for a razor blade. The tape slot is a hair narrower
than the tape itself; you press the tape in gently and it stays
put. The very narrow diagonal slot guides a razor blade
edge across the tape at the correct angle. You can make a
perfect butt joint easily and quickly.

Only problem: handle the razor blade with care, so that
it scrapes the plastic as little as possible when you draw
it through the guide slot. Otherwise, you'll gradually make
the slot wider.

And a warning to anyone who makes a tape splice, re-
gardless of how he makes it: be sure — but sure — you use
the special splicing tape sold by practically all dealers. Do
not use regular household tape. The sticky stuff on the
latter is too gooey; the tape will pull apart, slightly, with
time, and the goo will squeeze out along the edges and gum
up heads, adjacent tape, and drive mechanisms. — C. F.

SELA Stroboscope

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer) : penlight-size strobe
flasher, together with stroboscopic disk card with bands for 78,
45, and 33 1/3 rpm at 50 and 60-cycle power line frequencies. The
strobe light (model A-44) operates at 115 or 220 volts AC, 50
or 60 cycles. Incorporates germanium diode rectifier, so that flash
duration on each cycle is very short — about 100 microseconds.
Price: $4.95. Manufacturer: SELA Electronics Company , 1 28 W.
48th Street, New York 36, N. Y.

There are many stroboscopic disks available without strobe
lights at much lower prices than this, for use with standard
fluorescent lights. Why, then, buy a strobe light?

The answer lies in the purpose of the stroboscope — to
detect errors and irregularities in the speed of turntables.
When an ordinary fluorescent light is used to illuminate
a stroboscopic disk the bars are only faintly outlined, are

Continued on page 112

108

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

■

The MlRACORD XA-lOO

THE OUTSTANDING 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER

Only the Miracord XA-100

• No wow — no rumble • "Magic Wand"1 spin

die

has all the exclusive

• Push button control • ' Pausamatic"*

features that make it

• Intermixes 10" and 12" records

the most sought after

Every component is held to the closest tolerances and because
of the features that are incorporated brilliant and natural

changer today--

reproduction of tone is achieved.

" *

Available at leading distributors throughout the United States.'

■ - »

*The user's choice of pause lengths between record changes.

AUDIOGERSH H CORPORATION

Exclusive Distributors in the U. S. for ELAC Record Players

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AUDIOGERSH CORPORATION^
23 Pork Ploce, New York 7, N.Y. Dept. H-10 Iwl
Please send me descriptive literature.

Name

A ddress

City Zone State

so overwhelming
you have to hear it!

11I1U

20-WATT AMPLIFIER $84.95

•im\

10-WATT AMPLIFIER $79.95

llFK

A decibel isn't a drum.

A curve isn't a cello....

A h

armonjc

isn't a harp...

....That's why all the superb statistics we
could print (and we've got books full of them!)
aren't worth three minutes spent listening to the
new HORIZON line of high-fidelity components!

Only a listening test can convey the magic
of "Mutamatic'Tuning . . . the distortion-free differ-
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hum-free preamplifiers ... the fabulous flexibility
of complete tone control . . . the bedrock stability
of National FM!

PREAMPLIFIER-CONTROL UNIT $49.95

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Your National dealer is ready and waiting to give you a startling listening
demonstration of the new HORIZON line. Compare it with other
lines costing far more. Your ears will prove what an engineer will tell
you — there is no finer high-fidelity system on the market at any price!

(For those who want them, complete specifications, curves
and catalogs are available at your National dealer's.)

FOR THE NAME OF YOUR NEAREST DEALER OR
FOR COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS WRITE DEPT. H

cNationate>

NATIONAL CO.. INC., h I SHERMAN ST.. MALDEN 48, MASS

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TESTED IN THE HOME

Continued from page 108

relatively wide and fuzzy. Some idea of the correct speed
can be obtained, but with considerable difficulty. Per-
fectionists want something better, and a strobe light gives it
to them. Because it produces very short flashes of illumina-
tion that occur at precisely the same time during each cycle
of the power line frequency, the bar images on the rotating
stroboscopic disk are clearly defined, narrow and rock-
steady, making it easy to adjust your turntable to exactly
the right speed. Even in the little matters, it costs more to
be a perfectionist! — R. A.

Special strobe flasher and disk make speed adjustment easy.

Ivan land 1826 Amplifier
System

SPECIFICATIONS (furnished by manufacturer): a deluxe ampli
fying system consisting of the 180SA power amplifier and the
1801A Libretto remote control unit. AMPLIFIER — Inpuu: one
for magnetic phono cartridge, three high-level inputs labeled
XTAL, AUX 1, AUX 2. Controls: slide switch for matching
GE or Pickering cartridge; hum, bias, balance, and master
volume screwdriver adjustments on chassis. Selector switch
and AC on-off switch (for amplifier only) on individual S-ft.
cables attached to amplifier. Other controls on remote unit,
connected to amplifier by single cable. Three switched AC out-
lets. Powor Output: 20 watts at 8 or 16 ohms. Response: ±.3 db,
20 to 40,000 cycles, at rated output. Distortion: less than .4%
IM at 1 watt, .7% at 20 watts, 60 and 7,000 cycles 4:1. Hum
■nd noli.: -80 db. Tubes: 2-12AX7. 12AU7, 2-6L6, SU4G.
SY3GT. Dimensions: 14 in. wide by 9 deep by 8 high. REMOTE
CONTROL — since the only connection to the system is by a small
multi-conductor cable that may be of any reasonable length
(up to 400 ft. or so), this is a true remote-control unit, and can
be operated from any point in the listening room. Unit is similar
in appearance to a book; hinged backbone covers operating con-
trols. Can be obtained alone as standard control unit, as can
amplifier, with adaptor kits. Controls: Crossover (turnover),
with bass turnover equalization at ISO, 300, 450, 700, and
1,000 cycles; Rolloff, with treble equalization of 5, 8, 12, 16,
and 24 db reduction at 10,000 cycles; AC on-off and volume/
loudness control; Bass, +24 to -20 db, with calibrated dial;
Treble, -30 to +18 db, with calibrated dial. Two recessed slide
switches on "side" of book cut in loudness compensation at bass
and treble ends individually. Tubes: 3-12AX7. Dimensions: 8%
in. by 11 by 2. Price: $232.26, combined. Amplifier alone,
$136.71; remote unit alone, $95.55. Monufacturer: Rauland-
Borg Corp., 3515 West Addison Street, Chicago 18, 111.

This amplifier-control unit combination has many plus
features, as it should have at the price. Perhaps the most
important of these is the fact that the Libretto may be
classed as a true remote-control unit — that is, only a single

112

cable (that can be as long as desired) connects it to the
rest of the system. Leads from the record player, tape re-
corder, tuner, and other input devices plug into the am-
plifier, rather than the so-called remote control head in
many other combinations. Because of this, a far greater
degree of freedom in placement can be allowed this con-
trol unit. However, careful reading of the specifications
will reveal that the controls on the Libretto permit adjust-
ment of volume (or loudness) and tone balance only.
Switching of input sources and AC power for the amplifier
is accomplished by means of two controls on the ends of
extension cords from the amplifier. This may seem at
first to be a limitation on the remote-control feature, but
it really isn't. When input sources are switched it would
be necessary to do something at the sources — i.e.,
turn on and tune a radio tuner, start a turntable and put
on a record, etc. Thus, the function of the remote unit is
unaffected; it can be situated near the user's listening posi-
tion so that volume and tone balance can be adjusted to
sound best at that point.

Control flexibility is wide enough to meet any de-
mand, reasonable or unreasonable. Individual six-position
equalization switches give a choice of 36 curves,
and they are well distributed. The tremendous ranges of
the tone controls are quite unusual. Add to these the
individual switches for bass and treble loudness compen-
sation, and you have flexibility with a capital F. As a
matter of interest: the record equalization switches are
in the circuit on all inputs. Normally they would be put
in the flat positions for sources other than a phono car-
tridge, but they can be used to obtain unusual effects.

The amplifier is conservatively rated on both power and
distortion. It sounds clean as a whistle and just coasts
along at very high sound levels. Noise level of the com-
bination is low and gain is adequate for normal-output
magnetic cartridges; transformers are required for the
low-output types (Fairchild, Ferranti, and other moving-
coil units).

In a price class such as this, some users might like to
have another input for a magnetic cartridge. There is no
output jack to feed a tape recorder. Other than these
deficiencies, which could be important in some cases, the
1826 combination should be rated very highly. — R. A.

Hinged backbone of Raulaud Libretto lijts to uncover controls.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

SOUND

TAPE

' MIRRORS

ORIGINAL

TAPE

YOUR RECORDER
CAN USE

FREQUENCY RANGE: 39-20.000 cpi
LOWEST NOISE LEVEL • UNIFORM SENSITIVITY
MINIMUM AMPLITUDE VARIATION
LESS DISTORTION

NET

600 feet on plastic reel. $2.10

1200 feet on plastic reel 3.30

2400 feel on metal reel _. 7.71

Available At All leading Sound Dealers

orradio Industries, In

World's Largest Exclusive Magnetic Tape Manufacturer
OPELIKA ALABAMA
Export Division: Morhon Exp©rlirt£ Corp., New York, N. Y.
In Canada Atloi Radio Corp., Ltd., Toronto, Ontario

www.americanradiohistorv.com

. -,n the &ottie

with low-cost Crestwood 303

Daystrom firmly helieves that true, faithful sound reproduction is the all-
important characteristic of a quality tape recorder. This was the guiding prin-
ciple followed in designing and developing CRESTWOOD Tape Recorders, As
a result, with higher fidelity than comparably priced tape recorders. CHEST-
WOOD offers sound that virtually matches the original. Along with its wide
range and low cost. CRESTWOOD offers:
Ease of operation —

• Push button controls located front and center.

• Safety lock prevents accidental erasure.

• Rear plug-ins for microphone, radio, headphones, etc. — avoid wire
jumbling.

• Rewind is 20 times faster than recording.

• Light weight and compact design for portability.
Quality performance —

• Professional recorder "Red Heads" provide faithful sound reproduction.

• Dual speeds of 7V£" and 3%" per second.

• 10 watt output from 6" x 9" oval dynamic speaker — double the volume
of comparable tape recorders — fills large rooms with Living Sound.

• Three outputs: Internal speaker; external speaker; special output to
bypass internal power amplifier to feed a high fidelity system.

The CRESTWOOD 303 comes complete with microphone and cord, radio and
TV connection cable, power cable and empty reel.

We can't put sound in print. As you know, you must hear for yourself the
quality of any tape recorder. But we will be glad to send you the complete
CRESTWOOD story — and tell you where you can conveniently hear one.

Hi-Fi Crestwood 400's

Model iOt (Recorder) $199.50
(Frequency response: SO to
13,000 cycles + »r - Sdb ot
7x\i" per second tape-speed)
Model kOt (Power Amplifier
and Speaker) $100.00

Crestwood Model 303

Tape Recorder $199.50
(Slightly higher in Denver and West,)

BY DATSTRO

Daystrom Electric Corp.

Dept. 10-J

H37 Main Street. Poughkeepsie. New Ynrk

I am interested in :

□ complete High Fidelity System

Q Tape Recorder only

Name

St reel

Town State

LETTERS

Continued from page 4}

Sincerily, I should be pleased if you
could send me some literature, telling
me the way I could perform to buy
these Audio Components of yours.

I thank you so much, and ask you a
little favour:

Not to look at this slaughtered Eng-
lish writing, cause I'm just a poor
freshman at an American School in
S.10 Paulo . . .

As you can see perfectly, and as we
Brazilians say: — "F.sta na cam!" (It
is in the face!)

Claudia Regos Pa ran
Sao Paulo, Brazil

James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., sent
this appealing missive on to us. We
are glad to say we intend to have
available soon something in the
nature of a high-fidelity shopper's
guide booklet, which will include
suggestions on how to shop by
mail. — Ed.

Sir:

... I have been guilty until now in
deferring my expression of great in-
debtedness to you for launching HIGH
Fidelity Magazine. Radio having been
my hobby for years 1 can testify that
it's a far cry from "lo-loss" of which
we once heard so much to "Hi-Fi" of
which even now we hear too little. Of
what profit were the long night hours
spent in hunting "DX"? Remember-
ing the thrill of a confirmation from
Australia that I had indeed logged
VK2MF. on my Scott for upwards of
an hour with but a two-foot buswire
antenna, 1 am bound in honesty to
report that the thrill was unshared with
others and could never — in the nature
of things — be repeated at will. The
passage of time and the advent of
High Fidelity Magazine have changed
all this. When my first copy appeared
1 possessed a few venerable 78s — all
very seldom played — and of my ap-
paratus I considerately forbear to
speak. By way of contrast today, 1 own
276 LP disks and more will come. I
am in overwhelming debt to J.M.C.,
to P.A., as well as to the incomparable
C.G.B.; in fact, the very day 1 read
Burke's masterly appeal to the Haydn
Society I bought their Number 81
and heard it to my indescribable de-
light. . . . Please extend my apprecia-
tive thanks to Ed Wallace. Taking his
Continued on page 132

[14

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Ti'rs! there was the will to reproduce sound
with more accuracy than ever before . . .
Jhen they searched their min is for the way . . .

Scraps of inspiration were brought 10 engineering,
endless calculations kilowatt hours consumed,
{lays ami weekends in shop and laboratory . . .

7he final prototype stood before them.
Something lieu? and different.
Toothing guile like it ever before . . .

SVoic, a flood of ejjulgenl sound . . . Itass clean
and crisp, smooth singing strings, stimulant
brass, acute rap of traps and thump o\ lymps . . .

Sound like this from a man-made assemblage'?
1l seems as they listen to the voice of
Jhe 'Hartsfield that their hundred inspirations
and ten thousand hours have left a trace
of life among the wood and wire . . .

this is THE IIAKTSFIELD

a JIM LANSING SIGNATURE system

The Hartsfield is an enclosure of new,

patented design built to house the finest sound

components ever made available to the

talented listener. A serpentine Koustical Lens

with wide horizontal and narrow vertical

pattern is an integral part of the cabinet.

Components include a 15 low frequency unit

with straight-sided cone and 4 edge-wound

copper ribbon voice coil, o high frequency

driver-horn with 4 voice coil and diophragm,

and a 500 cycle highly refined dividing

network. Nat only do these Jim Lansing Signature

units have a new sound, but they look new,

feel new. They can be seen and heard at leading

sound and audio dealers throughout the country.

Ask about the progressive plan for purchasing

The Hartsfield — a plan which begins with an

8 Jim Lansing Signature Extended Range Speaker.

JAMES B. LANSING SOUND, INC.

producers of precision transducers

2439 Fletcher Drive Los Angeles 39, California

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Thousands are already acclaiming the
sensational new ESL electrodynainic cartridge
which doesn't sound like a cartridge!

You'll hear all the music on your records
for the first time with ESL. Visit your
dealer and prove it for yourself!

EladM-SnTLiL LnhcnatntLsA., /til .

iS-SA Thirty-sixth Street, Long Island City i, N.Y.

diamond $29.0 j . sapphire </ 4.05

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

OTHER SIDE OF THE SLEEVE

Continued from page ^9

the disk, and if there have been cuts,
what has been sacrificed and why.
Finally, it would deepen my respect
for the recorded production if I were
told something about the performers.
If I were buying a record of Ghedini's
Concerto dell Abattro, I should need
very much the same kind of informa-
tion plus one other thing: since
Ghedini is not well known in this
country, a general sketch of his life
and works would be desirable.

Putting all this in the form of gen
eral principles it follows that:

t. Annotations of works by fami-
liar composers should concentrate on
the works, while annotations of works
by unfamiliar composers should place
equal emphasis on the composers
themsel ves.

2. The dramatic, programmatic, or
extra-musical implications of musical
compositions should be thoroughly
set forth. As a corollary to this, one
must insist that dramatic, program-
matic and extra-musical implications
should not be sought or read into
musical compositions when there is no
solid justification for them.

3. Full texts of vocal works should
be provided, in the original language
and in translation when they are not
sung in English. Fulfilling this desi-
deratum is expensive and difficult,
but it should be regarded as part of
the recording company's responsibil-
ity, and it pays off. The more impor-
tant the text from a literary point of
view, the greater the necessity for pro-
viding it. Perhaps one does not need
to know every word of Rigoletto, but
how many people are going to listen
repeatedly to Debussy's Baudelaire
songs without knowledge of the
poems?

4. The special characteristics of
each recording should be dealt with,
and there should be information about
its personnel.

The musical annotator, as Sir Donald
Francis Tovey once put it, is the at-
torney for the defense, but his job is
to present the facts and let the jury
arrive at its verdict. The 78 rpm
pamphlets were filled with purple
prose, and there is still too much of
this sort of thing: "The simplicity
and melodic loveliness of the melody
are unforgettable a theme of such
tenderness, such exalted beauty, that
Continued on page 1 19

October. 1954

Outstanding

noise and interference rejection

with the new

FM TUNER

Lowest
ignition noise

Lowest
interference

Wide-band
detector
and limiters

Single-sweep
tuning

Interstation
noise
suppressor

2-microvolt
sensitivity

Tuning-signal
strength meter

Unique
convenience

Quality ol FM reception

is determine*! largely fiy what is not heard,
particularly in Metropolitan areas where noise,
interference runl reflection effects ore uie.fi.
Tlic new 310 FM Broadcast Monitor Tuner feature*
widc-linnd circuit design permitting outstanding rejection
of ignition noise, image and otlier station interference.
Multi-patli fading and spurious responses
(wliicli show up as reception of the sante station
at many spots on the FM hand) are virtually eliminated
*1 he 2 mc wide-hung detector nnd limiters and full I 30 t<c
wide flat bandpass IF characteristics make tuning
completely non-critical nnd drifl-lree
nnd Rive essentially distortionless reproduction
at nil signal levels. T lie 2 microvolt sensitivity
at 20 dli quieting (4 microvolt at 40 dli quieting) allows
interfcrence-lrcc reception with lull limiting nction
even on weakest signals. The inter-station noise
suppressor is adjustable on the Iron! panel and allows
Complete inter-station noise elimination hut also reception
of very weak stations. The line-tuning control and
combined tuning meter and signal strengtli indicator
are usclul lor tuning weak signals and antenna orientation.
Rejection ol spurious responses resulting from
cross-modulatfon by strong local signals is belter llian
85 ilb. an outstanding design accomplishment. We believe
that the 310 provides llie best overall design balance
possible at this stage ol the art. inrorjwrnting all
significant features and refinements known today.
Unique convenience ol operation,
attractive styling and moderate cost
enhance its desirability
to the serious music lover.

H. H. SCOTT

FREE BOOKLET

385 PUTNAM AVENUE. CAMBRIDGE 39, MASS.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

For those of you not familiar with our organization, let us introduce ourselves. The AUDIO EXCHANGE BUYS, TRADES,
and SELLS new and used hi-fi equipment. And we are factory distributors for most high fidelity components. If you have a GE speak-
er and would like an Altec, (either new or used), we will trade in your speaker. Or, you may wish to trade a tone-arm for a tuner, for
hi fi records, for anything else we carry. The listing on this page is made up of equipment traded in to us in this manner. All used
equipment is fully guaranteed and is carefully checked and reconditioned before being sold. The AUDIO EXCHANGE also maintains
its own service laboratory which is available for expert and economical repair of any high fidelity components.

Since by the very nature of our operation, the stock of used-guaranteed equipment changes continuously, items out of stock
may again be available next week. If you wish us to hold your order in such a case, please state. Otherwise your check will be returned.
The prices listed here are subject to change without notice. We demonstrate all used equipment, and much new equipment at our store.

Write to us about the equipment you wish to trade. Or, if possible, come see us in Jamaica or at the N. Y. Audio Fair, Room 735.
Store hours: Tues. 10-9, Wed. through Sat. 10-6, closed Mondays

LISTING OF USED HIGH FIDELITY COMPONENTS

SPEAKERS

Altec or B 15-in. coax

Altec 800 theater system, utility

Altec 605 mahogany enclosure

K-V 114K 3-way system in Koyal

E-V SP-8IJ (8-in.)

E-V T-10 Driver Wl 2 x 3 Morn

E-V T-25 Driver

K-V X-4 Network

t£-V X-35 Network

G-E S1201D (12-in.

Hartley Turner 215 (10-in.

Jensen Duette system in cabinet

Jensen JHP-52 coax 15-in.

Jensen K-310 (15-in. coax)

Jensen 11-510 (15-in. coax;

Klipsch-University three-way custom,

mahogany
Raton CMU-2 tweeter
RCA LC-1A coax 15-in.
RCA 515-Sl

Telefunken Studio 8 speaker system wi

25 watt power amplifier
University 6200 tl2-in.)
University DifTusicone 12-in.
University DifTuBic-one 8-in.
University 4401 single tweeter
University 4402 dual tweeter
University 4409 (600 cycle cut)
University 4410 ,600 cycle Xoveri-
University 4420 (2000 cps. Xover

TAPE RECORDERS

Brush BK-41 1 in mahogany case
Coneertonp Network like new
Concertone 1401D
Masco No. 52 74 and i-P-s.
Masco No. 53 7H and i.p.s.
I'entron 9T3C 7& and i.p s.
Pentron I'MC 1% and 3M i.p.B.
Pentron PMD-1 1\i and BH i-P-S.
Wagner Nichols disc embosser, 33 rpm

CARTRIDGES

Audak 1^-6 [new, boxed styli ,
Audak R-2 new, boxed styli)
Pickering D-140S - certified
Pickering D-120M — certified

Neu

Used

159

119

345

215

IliO

332

232

a«

■m

3.13

265

IT5

119

750

475

I 1

2 1

New Used

260

79k

550

345

245

179

109

189

115

1 39

1 l„

1 "1

l»9

Xew Used

AMPLIFIERS fflWi

Acoustical ljuad, remote

Altec Lansing A323B

Altec Lansing A333A w/A433A FE

Hell 2122, 10 watt

Bell 2145, remote control

Bogen PI I 10, 10 watt

Bogen I'll 10. remote contro

Bogen Dl! 10, 10 watt

llogen I'X 10, 10 watt

Bogen PX 15, 15 watt

Bogen DM 20. 20 watt

Brook 22A, new, sealed eartoit

Brook 12A3, 10 watt, remote

Brook 10C3, 30 watt, remote

Break 12A4. latest model.

Fisher 50A, power amplifier

Fisher Wide-range amp; noise-suppressor,

control unit
Heath A6A, 20 watts
Masro MA- 101 IF, 10 watt
Maynard XT-10B, Williamson w/FE
Mcintosh 20W2 w/AE-2A FE
Peerless (Altec) A-100A
Pilot A A 903
Radio Craftsmen KC-2
Radio Craftsmen C-500
Scott 99A

Scott 214A, new, not latest
Sun Radio CR-10 all triode
Thordarson T32W10

Neiff Used
189 129

I8fi

50
175
36
IS
54
U
96
99
130
!')«
3 1 5
22:'
1611

176
222
133
70
43
100

let:
it'.i

67
119

3.',
1 18
24
27
46
,18
59
79
85
95
. >b
146
128

156
39
37
95
99
67

•:

31
75
75
149

CONTROL
AMPLIFIERS

Altec Lansing A-433A
Approved A-800
Brociner A-IOOP, self-powered
Brociner A-100, w/Fairchild tra

added, selector
Rouen RCl'R
Fisher 50-CM and CB
Mcintosh AE-2A
Pickering 410 "Input System
Scott 120A

75
37
50

15
7S
98
T5
99
75

45
19

25
45
79

>.:.

64
56

TUNERS

FACTORY DISTRIBUTOR

NEW EQUIPMENT

Acoustical Quad • Altec Lansing • Audak • Audio Devices • Audiophile Records • Bell Sound Systems • Bogen
Co • Bozak • British Industries • Brociner Electronics • Brooks Laboratories • Browning Laboratories • Cabin-
art • Concertone • Collaro • Cook Laboratories • Crestwood • D & R Ltd. • Electro-Sonic • Electro- Voice •
Fairchild Recording • Ferranti • Fisher Radio • Garrard • General Electric • Gray • Harmon-Kardon • In-
terclectronics • Jensen • Leak • Livingston • Marantz • Markell • Masco • Nationa • I'entron • Pickering •
Pilot •K.J. Audio Products • Racon • Radio Craftsmen • Kek-O-Kut • River Edge • Sargent-Uayment • H. H. Scott •
Stephens • Tannoy • Thorens • Telefunken • Wharfdale • * Others.

Altec Lansing 10111, AM -KM
Altec l-ansinc 101 Si A323C amp.
Bogen 801. FM
Browning RV-10, FM
Brooks ST-I0, FM
Browning RV-10A. FM, AFC
Browning RV-31, FM
Browning KV-32, latest model
Browning R.1 20, AM-FM. controls
Browning RJ 12. AM-FM
Collins AM-FM. professional
Kspey 512B, AM-FM
Howard Tuner. FM, in cabinet
Meissncr 8C. FM, in cabinet
Meissner 8C, l-'M, no cabinet
Meissner 9-1091, AM-FM
Miller AM tuner, TRF circuit
National NC 108, meter tuning
Pilot T-61. FM, in cabinet
Radio Craftsmen RC 10. AM-FM

RECORD
CHANGERS &
TURNTABLES

Garrard ItC-80
Garrard T"
Garrard "M"
V-M, 3 speed
Webster. 2 speed
Webster, 3 speed
Itek-O-Kut T-12
Rek-O-Kut G-l
Thorens CBA 83. on has**
Thorens K 53PA on board

TONE ARMS

Audak 12-in.
Audak 16-in.

Livingston 16-in. Universa
Livingston 12-in. Special
Pickering 190, long arm
Proctor-Soundex, Professional with slides

New Used
299 99

425
75
94
71
94
99
129
189
149
230
79

149
56
64
S»
71
79
99
85
85

130

;

85
45
59
27

GUARANTEES

For ten days from date of delivery you may return used equip-
ment bought directly from us for a full cash refund. Your only
loss will be the shipping charges both ways. Within 30 days
from date of delivery we will make any necessary repairs free of
charge. Th,-se guarantei-s. cannot, of course, cover negligence
on your part, or damage resulting from vOJillj^i^fVf
attempts to modify t he equipment. . \^assssssssW+.r.

the audio exchange inc.

159-19 HILLSIDE AVENUE,
JAMAICA 32, N.Y. OLympia 8-0445

www.americanradiohistorv.com

OTHER SIDE OF THE SLEEVE

Continued from page uj

its mood is nearly that of worship."
It is up to Beethoven and his interpre-
ters to tell us that about the opening
of the slow movement of the Kreutzer
sonata, and they can do so much more
convincingly than any annotator.
(Moreover Beethoven would never
have been guilty of such consecutive
fifths as "the melodic loveliness of
the melody.") But the annotator
would have served us well if he had
given us that theme in notation and
analyzed the course of the variations
built upon it, so that we might have
the beginning of an insight into Bee-
thoven's creative processes.

ORCHESTRA CAME LAST

Continued from page 56

yet been heaped on abbreviated master-
pieces, and such recordings managed
to hold their own as creditable items of
phonographic commerce. Undoubt-
edly the most popular of these "classics
in cameo" was the "Unfinished" Sym-
phony of Schubert in a recording by
the Court Symphony Orchestra, which
its sponsor — the English branch of
Columbia proclaimed as "The Finest
Orchestral Record Ever Issued." It
sold in the thousands. Columbia's
ads prated of "a wealth of melody that
forms one of the most sublime ex-
amples of musical utterance in the
history of symphonic writings" and
the reviews lauded the reproduction
"wherein the abounding delicatesses of
instrumental treatment are rendered
with most gratifying fidelity." But
neither copy writer nor critic alluded
to the disconcerting fact that a double-
sided 12-inch record could at best
accommodate barely a third of Schu-
bert's 25-minute work.

By the end of 191 1 the Gramophone
Company was committed in earnest to
a program of orchestral recordings.
In November of that year, three HMV
records by Landon Ronald and the
New Symphony were issued: the
Scherzo from Mendelssohn's Mid-
summer Night's Dream, the Marriage
of Figaro Overture, and Sibelius's
Finlandia (in a cut version). The
Sound Wave hailed them as "three or-
chestral reproductions which tran-
scend any of their [the Gramophone
Company's] previous triumphs in this
direction." The Mendelssohn Scherzo
Continued on page 121

October, 1954

amazingly quiet,

convenient,

the new

Motor rumble down
more than 60 db

Wow reduced
to less than 0.1 %

Instant

push-button selection
of three speeds

Stroboscopic speed
and pitch adjustment

Torsional
and dual-stage
mechanical filtering

6 lb.

Cast aluminum
turntable

710-A
TURNTABLE

Tlic 710-A Slrulju seopie Zirout/cosl Turntable
ticfiicvps reduction of motor rumble more
titan (»0 db below recording lew I. and decreases
wow lo less lli. in 0.1%, l>y a unique torsional
and dual-stage met haiiical filtering system.
Constant unvarying speeds arc obtained willi
the heavy, non-magnetic, balanced turntable
machined from a single aluminum casting. Instant
selection of 33-'A, 45 and 78 rpm speeds by convenient
push-buttons. Automatic braking stops tlic Irec-wliecling
turntable quickly when the off button is pressed,
for quick record removal. Each speed is independently
adjustable ±3% lo permit exact tuning to the pilch of an
accompanying musical instrument such as organ or piano,
or to compensate for off-speed recordings. Built-in
neon stroboscope permits pret isc speed adjustment
regardless of line voltage. I'kkup-arni

mounting and turntable bearings ore rigidly connected to
minimize dilfercntial vibration and acoustic feedback.
1 bis system has shock mounting isolation Irom ItotK
motor and turntable base, facilitating installation since
the unique mounting makes vibration isolation of turntable
base from cabinet unnecessary. l£(Te< ts of very low
frequency arm resonance and system noise below 20 rps
(where best sound systems l>egin to cut off) arc reduced
by more than 50 db, an outstanding design
accomplishment. Quiet nylon spindle bearings
never require lubrication. |n our opinion, the 710-A
Stroboscopic Broadcast Turntable nffords a new
standard of excellence in turntable performam e,
with unique convenience of installation,
operation, adjustment, and in .int. n, rice,
together with outstanding styling and
moderate cost.

H. H. SCOTT inc.

US PUTNAM mNUE, CAMBRIDGE 39, MASS..

www.americanradiohistorv.com

nmmw

ZEN IT H

Zenith brings HIGH FIDELITY down to earth...
right in your room, right now for just $I4995

You could spend hundreds of dollars for special,
custom-made components, and get no more real
High Fidelity than you have right here in the
Zenith Custom Super-phonic!

This is it. This is the music that sounds so real the phono-
graph seems to disappear, and the performer himself take
its place right in your living room. The Zenith Custom
Super-phonic at S149.95* is all High Fidelity, complete
with Zenith-huilt dual s|ieakers woofer ami tweeter,
acoustically sealed sound chamber, barium titanate pick-up
and frequency range from 40 to 15,(100 cycles per second.

I'rove it at your Zenith dealer's. Compare the Zenith
Custom Super-phonic with any phonograph you've ever
heard, at any price.

You cannot have High Fidelity except by chance
without these two Zenith exclusive*:

1 . Fully Variable Speed Regulator {10 to 85 RPM). Lets you make
any needed adjustment in record speed. It's as necessary to per-
fect speed as the regulator on a fine watch.

2. Speedometer (Stroboscope). Amazing Stroboscope is your in-
fallible turntable speedometer. Necessary for perfect pitch,
tempo, timbre.

Individual stylus for both standard and long playing micro-
groove records assure longer record life. Extra-long playing dia-
mond stylus and spindle for automatic changing of 45 RPM rec-
ords optional at slight extra cost.

The model itluitrated '* 'he Custom
Super-phonic in mahogany,
$149.95*. In blonde, $159.95*.
The Super-phonic itarti ot SI 29.95 *.

The royalty of television and RADIO

Backed by 36 years of Experience in Radionics Exclusively
ALSO MAKEHS OF FINE HEARING AIDS
Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago 39, Illinois.

•Manufacturer'* sugge§led reUil price. Slightly higher in South and Fnr Weal. Specifiraliom subject to change without notice.

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

ORCHESTRA CAME LAST

Continued from page n<)

seemed to be especially deserving of
praise: "Tlie effect produced upon
the listener is simply indescribable.
Not only does the orchestra give a
performance which is in every way
worthy the delicate charm of its sub- '
ject, but they are accorded a repro-
duction which faithfully reflects every
inflection of tone, from the lightest to
the heaviest passages. Again one can-
not fail to note the really wonderful
orchestral ensemble, the natural tone
of the strings, the beauty of the flute,
and the exquisite artistry with which
die crescendos are worked up. Of a
truth a superb performance and a
wonder-compelling record." More
wonders from the same source were in
store for 1912 with issues of Beetho-
ven's Leonore Overture No. 3 (on three
sides), Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite (on four
sides), and Schubert's "Unfinished"
(on four sides), and in 191 3 with issues ,
of the Theme and Variations from :
Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3 (on three ,
sides), Grieg's Lyric Suite (on four
sides), the Prelude to Die Meistersinger
(on two sides), and the Tannhduser
Overture (on two sides). Almost all of
these were abbreviated to greater or
lesser extent.

In Germany the Beka Company
had been promoting a series of or- I
chestral records since 1911 played by
the so-called Meister Orchestra ("the |
first orchestra formed specially for the
purpose of playing for recording"),
but the repertoire it espoused was not
very adventurous, consisting princi-
pally of opera overtures. The same
could be said for the orchestral records
issued by the Gramophone Company's
German branch — a series of overtures
and brief instrumental trifles performed
by the Grammophon Streich-Orchester
under Bruno Seidler-Winkler. Indeed, i
it was not until 19 13, with the release |
of two complete Beethoven sym-
phonies on the Odeon label, that <
Germany began to challenge England 1
in the area of orchestral literature.
These Beethoven recordings, the first I
complete symphonies ever issued, were I
performed by the Odeon Streich-Or-
chester under an anonymous con-
ductor, the Fifth Symphony taking
eight sides and the Sixth taking 10.
If we can believe the review by Max
Chop, who listened to the disks score 1
in hand, not a single measure was
deleted, and there was not a deviation
Continued on page 122

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1.6

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0.8

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5.1

160

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1.6

200

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ORCHESTRA CAME LAST

Continued from page 121

from che original instrumentation be-
yond what was absolutely necessary.
"Only in a few passages," he wrote,
"have the lower strings (violas, cellos,
and double basses) been replaced or
reinforced by bassoons — which simply
cannot be helped in view of the in-
compatibility of these instruments
with the recording diaphragm. Other-
wise all has been retained. What we
hear is not a Beethoven trimmed and
clipped for the occasion, but genuine
Beethoven in his regular symphonic
vestments, played by a regular sym-
phony orchestra. This I hold to be a
great artistic achievement worthy of
unreserved admiration." And though
Chop acknowledged "minor uneven-
nesses and variations in tonal quality,"
he insisted that these factors were in
"ridiculous disproportion to the good
and the extraordinary." "I must dwell
on this point," he declared, "for what
has been accomplished is significant
as a principle, and this departure en-
tails many logical consequences and
opens many new perspectives."

One of these "logical consequences"
was the appearance shortly thereafter
of another complete Beethoven Fifth
— the record industry, then as now,
being nothing if not imitative. The
competition in this case came from
the Gramophone Company, which
countered with a Fifth Symphony in-
terpreted by the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra under Arthur Nikisch. It
was issued in Germany in February
1914 on four double-sided records and
sold for 38 marks (about $9.00 at the
time); in England it was published in
single-sided form and was issued piece-
meal over a period of several months,
the last record appearing in August
1914.

Nikisch 's involvement with the
phonograph was comparable to that
of Tamagno or Patti a decade before.
As the first conductor of stellar emi-
nence to work before the recording
horn,* Nikisch bestowed a distin-
guished imprimatur on the phono-
graph as a respectable medium for sym-
phonic music. And that is about all he
did bequeath. Nikisch was one of the
first virtuoso conductors, a musician
whose interpretations were held in the

Continued on page 124

♦Neither Land on Ronald nor Felix Weingartner,
who conducted a few insignificant recordings for
American Columbia in 1013, could be considered in
the same class at the time.

122

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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ORCHESTRA ( AME LAST

Continued from page 122

highest respect, and his recording of the
Beethoven Fifth ought to be a histori-
cal document of the utmost importance.
Unfortunately, it is nothing of the
kind. No less an authority than Arturo
Toscanini has pronounced it utterly
unreliable as an index of Nikisch's abil-
ities. Peter Hugh Reed, who played
the records for Toscanini in 1943, re-
ported that in Toscanini's estimation
they are "not only poor in sound, they
are downright misrepresentations ot
his [Nikisch's] artistry. . . . The tempi
in the Fifth Symphony, as well as in the
other works [Nikisch also recorded
several overtures' are at variance with
those of Nikisch's concert-hall pre-
sentations; and in the case of the Fifth
Symphony the tempi are downright
wrong. Nor do the phrasing and spirit
of the performances correspond to
[Toscanini's] memories of what Ni-
kisch accomplished in his life."t It
Nikisch himself realized the phono-
graph's limitations, he did not admit
to them. He was quoted in 191 5 as
having uttered the following: "I was
delighted with . . . this wonderful
instrument. The reproduction of
vocal or instrumental music is abso-
lutely [true] to nature from an artistic
standpoint, and the sensation it pro-
duces is simply overpowering.''

Clearly the ears of 1 914 were less
critical than ours. How else explain
the exuberant praise lavished on these
pre-World War I orchestral issues,
recordings which seem to us laughable
travesties of music? A Schubert "Un-
finished" that played a total of eight
minutes, a Fifth Symphony in which a
world-famous conductor made do with
six violins and two violas and dis-
pensed altogether with tympani and
double basses, a recording process
that allowed no pianissimos and no
fortes, that was deaf to subtleties of
articulation, and that transmitted only
the barest approximations of instru-
mental timbre — all this impels us in
the age of high fidelity to expressions
of disdain or, if we are charitably in-
clined, to tolerant mirth. But we might
remember that every generation heralds
the latest advance in recording as
perfection itself, and that for most
peopledeficienciesin reproduced sound
become disturbing only in comparison
with an improvement. How fortu-
Continued on page 125

1 Mutk Lover, June 1943, pp. 229-30.

124

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

ORCHESTRA CAME LAST

Continued from page 124

nate that this is so! Had the phono-
graph public of 19 1 4 listened to their
orchestral recordings with 1954 ears,
the disks would have languished on
the dealers' shelves an unwanted and
unsalable commodity. Happily, they
were heard with 1914 ears; the muted
rumblings presided over by Messrs.
Finck, Ronald and Nikisch afforded
keen musical gratification to the willing
listener; and the way was thus paved
for an accumulating orchestral litera-
ture in years to come.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Continued on page 98

Debussy's Alomieur Crocbe, the Dilet-
tante-Hater (London: N. Douglas), but
it may be hard to come by.

Other books very well worth own-
ing and reading and pondering - if
not necessarily agreeing with include
the musicologist Alfred Einstein's
scholarly and provocative investigation
of Greatness in Music (Oxford Uni-
versity Press). What is it, after all
that makes a composer and his mu-
sic "great"? How do they get that
way? What is originality? How do
we draw the line between talent
and genius? All legitimate discussion,
and of value if the reader does not
lose sight, or sound, of music through
fascination with its makers. And then
there are collections of essays like
Romain Rolland's Essays on Music
(Allen, Towne and Heath) and D. F.
Tovey's Musical Articles from the En-
cyclopedia Brittanica (Oxford Univer-
sity Press) that are considerably more
than worth while.

There are histories and part-way
histories of music in profusion, some
designed as textbooks, some as trade
books, and some as dual-purpose
books. Although research goes on
constantly, the main facts of musical
history are pretty well established by
now, and any general history of the
art is hound to cover pretty much the
same ground as the rest, the main differ-
ence being in emphasis, degree of
scholarly care, viewpoint, and literary
quality.

One of the best, and somewhat
outside the usual pattern, is Herbert
Weinstock's Music as an Art (Harcourt,

Continued on page 126

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Continued from page 125

Brace and Co.), published this year.
Not quite a history and certainly not a
music-appreciation book in the pe-
jorative sense, it has as its denning
virtue the fact that it deals systemati-
cally with the development of still-
performable music in terms of com-
positional intent and resources rather
than biographical or sociological indi-
rection.

Extremely clearly written, with grace
and precision, it defines terms care-
fully and without oversimplification
(only occasionally letting discussion
outstrip explanation) and traces the
complex story of developing, atro-
phying and regenerating usages ably
and well. There is little pasting of
labels on composers or pigeonholing
of their musics except from organiza-
tional necessity, for the author is ad-
mirably willing to simply make music
accessible through lucid discussion of
vocabulary, syntax and style. How-
ever, even in a book so healthy there
are wormy spots — or what will seem
so to some. What may be an undue
concern for tidyness brings on a run-
ning battle with the idea of classic-
romantic alternation, and since the
questions raised can hardly be re-
solved except by arbitrary assignment,
the chaste attention to music as music
is spotted every time the idea comes up.
However, this is perhaps the best and
most literate basic historical survey of
all for the listener willing to read care-
fully.

One of the most useful and attrac-
tive general historical studies of music
is Alfred Einstein's A Short History 0/
Music (A. A. Knopf), published first in
1938, for it combines the advantages
of distinguished scholarship, solid and
readable writing, and an approach that
is not too determinedly technical.
Listener-readers with special areas of
interest may find that a book like this
does more towards locating the interest
in its proper over-all context than
towards exploring it minutely, but this
is inevitable, even in so monumental a
volume as Paul Henry Lang's fine,
cleanly written Music in Western Civiliz-
ation (W. W. Norton) or Curt Sachs'
Our Musical Heritage (Prentice-Hall).

Leaving consideration of biogra-
phies and repertoire books and studies
of periods and movements in the his-
tory of music for a future survey, it
might be well to mention a few books

Continued on page 128

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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READ ALL ABOUT IT

Continued from page 126

that could be of use and interest to
people who have been attracted to
music primarily because their technical
backgrounds have led them first to an
interest in audio equipment. Such a
list might begin with, say, W. T.
Bartholomew's Acoustics of Music (Pren-
tice-Hall), a basic text, published in
1942, that still holds up well as a clear,
sane exposition of the production and
perception of musical sounds. It
would include, too, either Karl Geir-
inger's Musical Instruments (Oxford
University Press) or Curt Sachs' The
History of Musical Instruments (W. W.
Norton), both valuable and scholarly
studies from the musical point of view
of the mechanics of making music,
and perhaps T. C. Young's The Mak-
ing of Musical Instruments (Oxford Uni-
versity Press), a little book that goes
into the design and engineering of
instruments used today. And for those
whose interest in the mechanics of
music is stimulated to the point of
wanting to investigate the theory and
practice of combining instrumental
sounds, Cecil Forsythe's Orchestration
(Macmillan and Co.) is the standard
work.

However, orchestration is more than
mechanics — it presupposes a knowl-
edge of compositional theory, which
(to tell no secret) cannot be learned
overnight. So, perhaps, the first pur-
chase of all might be something like
F. W. Hill's and Richard Searight's
Study Outline and Workbook in the Ele-
ments of Music (W. C. Brown). A little
basic theory never hurt anybody; you
wouldn't expect to understand an am-
plifier without knowing what an am-
pere was. Or would you? Or maybe
the point really is that music is meant
ro be listened ro.

ADVENTURERS IN SOUND

Continued from page 31

We also have a new process of making
records quieter than ever; we're repro-
cessing most of our catalog with it
now. It involves a form of bias, and
infra-red treatment. I can't say any
more about it."

Cook Laboratories sold about 100,-
000 records last year. The single best-
seller has been Kail Dynamics, but a
surprising quota of the gross was furn-
ished by straight symphonic music,

Continued on page 130

128

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

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ADVENTURERS IN SOUND

Continued from page 128

performed by a group called the New
Orchestral Society of Boston. The
NOSB's conductor is a young man
named Willis Page, who (in the Kous-
sevitzky tradition) is a first-desk bass-
player in the Boston Symphony Or-
chestra. Other strong items in the cat-
alog are the theater-organ records
of Reginald Foort and a multi-
percussion disk called Speed the Parting
Guest, or, Hi-Fi Bull in a Chime Shop.
The latter title, by Cook, displays
another of his business (and general
human) assets, an almost pixyish
sense of humor. One pair of his
records, featuring Red Camp, a Texas
pianist, bear the subtitles "Fugitive
Piano Smasher from 52nd Street" and
"Old Webfoot Strikes Again." Regi-
nald Foort, long a featured organist of
the BBC, is obviously a kindred spirit.
His five Cook recordings of the giant
Wurlitzer at the Richmond (Va.)
Mosque Theater contain some of the
most horrendous noises ever wilfully
contrived, and his treatment on one of
them (Percussion and Pedal /Cook
1052) of "Old Soldiers Never Die"
constitutes one of the funniest mom-
ents in recorded music (?). Cook hopes
loudly that he will never have to make
another organ record, but admits under
pressure that two more Foort-items are
in the works.

There is less unanimous critical ac-
claim for his orchestral records, where
he gets into territory already well-
trodden, and has to stake young Willis
Page against Toscanini, Beecham, An-
sermet and other fairly well-entrenched
contenders. However, even here Cook
enjoys a kind of monopoly, for he is
the only large-scale maker of binaural
recordings, and nearly his whole cata-
log is available in binaural form. These
disks, in case anyone doesn't know,
have twin groove bands, to be played
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rated by 10 feet or so, for playback.
The product is genuine aural 3-D.
In such records as his forthcoming
disk of excerpts from Richard Strauss's
Salome, featuring Phylis Curtin, who
created a sensation in the role at New
York's Center Theater last winter, the
binaural effect is literally breathtaking.

Thunderheads and crashing breakers
benefit less, of course, from binaural
Continued on page 132

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

THE NEW

M30

FAMOUS

MAGNECORDER

QUALITY
FOR UNDER $300.

newest PILOTUNER

Model AF 860 AM-FM\

precision f\\\(XQ . tuning

An outstanding new advance in precision tunjng developed by PILOT — using a
highly accurate MICRO-METER indicator (or precise tuning on FM-AM. FM FEA-
TURES: Armstrong Dual Cascade Umlter-Discriminator Circuit. Sensitivity better
than 1.5 microvolts for 20 db of quieting. Continuously variable amplified AFC
for any degree, from complete cutoff to maximum. AM FEATURES: 2 stage IF
amplifier for broad or sharp band width. Tuned RF amplifier stage, utilizing
3-gang tuning condenser.

In addition. 660 PILOTUNER is equipped with a triple-ganged tone correcting
volume control circuit which automatically maintains excellent tone balance at
any volume setting. Built-in preamp with 10 position separate roll-off and
turnover provides equalization for all current record curves. Up to 100 feet of
cable can be extended for remote audio amplifier operation
without fidelity loss. Net

$179.50

Latest Model AA-904

PILOTONE

Amplifier

An excellently engineered version of the
• world famous Williamson circuit, utiliz-
ing KT 66's for maximum audio output.
Compact chassis, measuring only 14"
wide x 41/2" deep x 7V2" high, for easy cabinet installation.
May be remotely controlled from convenience outlet and
tuner or preamplifier switch. Power output is 25 watts at
less than 3% total harmonic distortion — range of fre-
quency response is from 15 to 50,000 cycles. Circuit is
fused for safety, Is UL approved. $89 50

REK-O-KUT

LP 743 3 Speed 12 inch

TURNTABLE

Finest quality 3 speed turntable at modest
price. Produced by the company whose turn-
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systems than all others combined. Perfect
for custom-built high fidelity systems, or as
a replacement for obsolete motors in aver-
age consoles. - «.

Net $59.50

Model
190D

PICKERING
PICKUP ARM

The only arm capable of optimum perform-
ance on both LP- and Standard records. De-
signed to eliminate the adverse effects of
arm resonance. Offset head provides flawless
tracking — even on warped records. Stat-
ically balanced to prevent jumping. Stylus
point protected against contact with anything
but record grooves. j.**- _

Net $31.50

COMPLETE YOUR VISIT
to the New York Audio Fair by coming to
TERMINAL RADIO for Your BEST BUY IN Hi-Fi

Here is the perfect tape recorder addition to your High Fidelity S/stem

professional quality at a hobbyist price. Two high impedance outputs are
supplied, plus monitor jack. High and low level outputs are provided to
connect to external power amplifier. The oversize, 4 pole motor provides
excellent speed regulation with an unusually low flutter component Case is
maroon leatherette, fully protected, heavy wood construction — weight is
34 lbs. Dimensions are: 17%" wide, liy4" high, ~—
13V4" deep. fjet $299.00

STROMBERG CARLSON

15" Coaxial
Speaker System

Model RF-475

Provides the finest In sound
reproduction of both voice
and music with realism and
listening enjoyment. Two
separately driven sound re-
producers coaxially arranged
provide a single sound
source for this excellent
speaker. Exceedingly uni-
form throughout the full range from the lowest notes of the
organ bass to the elusive tinkle of the triangle. Entirely new and
exclusive engineering ideas provide unusually high efficiency,
uniform directivity and uniform frequency response. Features a
massive 10 lb. magnet structure for high efficiency. Frequency
response 30 to 16,500 cps. ■ ^ _ *L

. Net $179.50

NeW STROMBERG CARLSON

HIGH FIDELITY AMPLIFIER

With Continuously-Variable Record Equalization
Model AR-420

JBS^Rt. JML sfll^H An entirely new concept of

fffl^H H^l BPi n what a truly high-ficelity am-

B ■ IM^S A lii plifier must be. Complete

ll ■ fc- flexibility of record equaliza-

V 1W M ^ J-^B *'on' 'outness compensation,

■ rumble suppresslor control
and tonal-balance controls
will satisfy the mo.t exact-
ing audiophile. Clearly
marked, simplified settings
of the controls are provided
for the music lover, A full-
frequency range of 20 to 20,000 cps and an undistortsd audio
output of 20 watts Insures top-quality reproduction. For every
listener^ the AR-420 provides greater listening pleasure due to
its ability to faithfully recreate the original. The continuously
variable Bass and Treble controls from the flat-response (center
position of the controls) provide better than 15 db. boost or cut
measured at 50 and 10,000 cps. The range of the controls ex-
ceeds the requirements for high fidelity reproduction.
In addition the AR-420 Amplifier provides input facilities for a
radio tuner as well as for two auxiliary inputs such as a tape
recorder, crystal phono pick-up, audio output of a television
tuner or similar signal sources. Incorporates low noise circuit
preamp for magnetic pickup. +>m^~. _ a

Net $109.50

latest PICKERING

260 DS Diamond - Sapphire

TURNOVER PICKUP

Using the superior, miniaturized PICKERING
Pickups. Each cartridge an Independent unit with
diamond stylus for LP and sapphire for regular
records. Easily fits into all standard transcrip-
tion arms and record changers. QQ

Phone: WOrth 4-3311

rminal Radio

— CORP.

85 Cortlandt St. 9 New York 7, N. r.

October, 1954

131

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Hit

AND YOU WILL CHOOSE .

The Largo is a complete wide range speaker system utilizing the new
Permoflux 8V81 Super Hoyal Eight speaker and 32 KTR Super
Tweeter in an acoustically advanced enclosure scientifically matched
to the speaker characteristics. The enclosure is an entirely new and
unique horn-loaded non resonant bailie with horn loading of the
speaker hack wave accomplished in the cabinet base. Every inch of
the cabinet construction serves an acoustically useful purpose.

Unfile and speaker characteristics were matched octave by octave
through laboratory tests to provide undistorted reproduction of all
frequencies from cycles to 16,000 cycles. Power handling capacity
is l."> watts. A high frequency balance control is provided for matching
individual room characteristics.

Its low contemporary styling is gracefully proportioned for decora-
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selected %" Mahogany and Korina veneers.

A lVrrnoflux Exclusive: Special connection for headset extension
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The Largo . .Audiophile Net Price $99.75

Enclosure styled by Contemporary American Furniture.

The Fortissimo — A 2-way multiple speaker system.
Unique "New Dual Driving Point" Enclosure Design
surpasses bass and mid-range performance of finest
12 and 15 inch systems. With 2 Super Royal 8
speakers and Super Tweeter. Cabinet beautifully
styled in Mahogany or Korina Blonde veneers.
Audiophile Net Price $218.00

The Dlmlnuetto — A 2-way speaker system featuring
full high fidelity performance with minimum cabinet
size and low cost. With 2 Royal 6 speakers and
Super Tweeter. In Mahogany or Blonde finish.
Audiophile Net Price $49.50

Visit your Hi-Fi dealer for a demonstration; also hear the
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ADVENTURERS IN SOUND

Continued from page J30

recording, though the difference can
be heard. And tridimensionality is
completely irrelevant to Emory Cook's
latest recording enthusiasm, which is
probably an inevitable development
in a man who travels as widely and
intently as he. He has begun collect-
ing some strictly non-high-fidelity
material — reminiscences of old timers
in places he visits. There's a New
York State geologist who is a walking
repository of cave-lore and cave-stories.
There is Matt Richards, mate of the
sea-borne Connecticut Marine Mus-
eum, who is a floating repository of
shipwreck stories. There may — just
possibly — be Grandma Moses. There
are the surviving members of the
Master Mariners' Association of Glou-
cester, Mass., all iron men from the
days of wooden ships. And there's
the nonogenarian New Bedford whal-
ing captain who, in the South
Atlantic ("up south," he calls
it) used to watch the sperm-whales, or
cachalots, go through the massive flirta-
tions preliminary to mating, an act con-
summated many dark fathoms down.
For some reason, Cook's eyes take on
a dreamy look when he talks of this.
And, of course, he has been inves-
tigating underwater microphones.

LETTERS

Continued from page 114

hint in your Vol. 2, No. 4, I have
proved for myself the merit of his
counsel. What now at long last comes
to these ears at Carnegie Hall does in-
deed differ from that which issues from
my Klipshorn; nevertheless the first
is mine at the cost of a bit of paste-
board and the latter I may possess at
the cost of a disk of plastic and . . .
I can have both.

George Foster Herhen, M.D.

Yonkers, N. Y.

Sir:

Others have pointed out the conven-
ience of printing on record jackets the
date, recording characteristics and
playing time of records, and I think it
would be very useful if manufacturers
would also print on the rim of the
record label a stroboscopic band. . . .

Ariel Fiallo
Santiago, Cuba

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

tk\ TV cettfc

remote control

and with the same professional quality as TV station monitors —
also made by Fleetwood. Your Custom Fleetwood television
receiver system is quality matched to your Hi-Fi equipment.
It supplies power for your speaker and has high fidelity output
to connect to your sound system. The separate remote unit operates
■40 feet or more from the picture chassis. Readily adaptable to U.H.F.
Both remote (2 chassis) and non-remote Fleetwood units
are available for 21", 24" and 27" picture tubes.

Fine Fleetwood performance is available in units starting at $199.50.
Write today for complete information and name of dealer nearest you.

^izEtujOOcL

CUSTOM TELEVISION

Manufactured by CONRAC, INC. • Dept. A • Glendara, Calif.
A few dealer fronchiiei stilt available

Export Divition: Frozar & Monien, Ltd.,
301 Cloy Street San Franciico II, California. U. S. A.

October, 1954

'33

www.americanradiohistorv.com

The

NATIONAL

Criterion

AM-FM TUNER

(D) CRITERION AM-FM Tuner

Completely independent AM and FM sections, each with it* own tuning and
level control!. Permits simultaneous AM and FM reception (ar binaural •««-
tening of tam« program or to enable different programi to be fed to
different point*, or recording one while listening to onather.
Exclusive 'Mutamatlc' FM tuning eliminates bctween-stotions noise and
hits. Other FM features include: 0.5 sensitivity for 20 db quieting
better than 60 db Image rejection . . . 4-section tuning capacitor for maxi-
mum selectivity . . . less than 0.5% audio distortion with modulation up )o
125% ... cathode follower output: 2 volts at 600 ohms. Other AM fea-
tures Include: 10 /xV sensitivity for 10 db signal-to-noise ratio . . image
rotio better than 60 db . . . less than 1% audio distortion . . . cathode fol-
lower output) 2 volts at 600 ohms.

A recorder output provides a constant I volt level independent of gain
control setting. Cabinet measures H'/i x7'/4". By removing decorative
face plate, space is provided for recessing and flush-mounting the Horizon 5
preamplifier-control unit (as illustrated). ^ AAQJ

Complete with lubej fleii preamplifier) * — ' 0 *

ALTEC

LOUDSPEAKER ENCLOSURE

Model 606

A corner cobinet designed for use with either
12 or 15" speakers. While functionally a bass
reflex enclosure, it also utilizes the advantage
of corner placement for low frequency rein-
forcement. Available in either mahogany, wal-
nut or blond, appearance and finish harmonize
with most interiors and furnishings.

$122.00

131.00

Dimensions:
height 36'/:"
overall width 36"
depth to earner 23Vi"

Mahogany or walnut.

Lii

isd oak

Specify for 12 or 15-i

ich speaker

Write for the NEW HARVEY Audio Catalog

WEATHERS

M Debonnaire

Model K700

FM Record Player

A complete high fidelity manuol record ployer designed to operate into any
high quality power amplifier. Has built-in self-powered preamplifier with
controls for volume, bass and treble boost and attenuation, and turnover.
Employs the famous Weathers FM pickup cartridge and tone control. Fre-
quency response extends from 20 to 20,000 cycles. Player is mounted on an
attractive Formica base finished in either blond or mahogany.
Complete with tubes » . $99.50

Visit the HARVEY Audio Exhibit
at the AUDIORAMA

Room 631, Now Yorker Hotel, October 14th thru 17th

HARVEY'S AUDIOtorium

. . . has become a famous rendezvous for audiophiles. An
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equipment . . . and to talk hi-fi with qualified experts.
NOTE: Prices Net, F.O.B., N.Y.C. Subject to change without notice.

The NEW

REK-0-KUT

Standi ne

3-Speed, 1 2-inch
PRECISION TURNTABLES

Represented to b. the result of more than 5 years study these new record
playback unit, ore offered ai the closest approach fo perfection in turntable
performance. Like all Rek-O-Kut units, the turntable i> eait Aluminum and
exerts no pull on magnetic cartridge!.

The following new featurei haye been Included, • single selector knob for
letting ipe.d, 33'/,. -45 and 78 rpm. • built-in retractable: hub for 45 rpm
recordi-requirei no external adapter • permanently affixed 3.spe«d strobe
disc for instantaneous speed checking • neon pilot light os'on/off indicator
• ipecial cork.neoprene mot material to eliminate record slippage • rec-
tangular deck to fit conventional record changer boardi.
Two identical Rondine modeli are available which differ only in the type
of motor employed.

Rondine Modal S-12 with 4-pole induction motor $69.95
Rondine Oafuxa Atodaf B-I2H with hysteresis synchronous motor. 119.95

MclNTOSH

Model C-IOS
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO
COMPENSATOR and PREAMP

A complete front end unit providing extreme flexibility with eaie of
operation. A 5-position switch permits input selection ol AM, FM,
Phono, Microphone, TV, Tape, or any other sound source. A rumble
filter is incorporated to minimize or completely eliminate turntable
noise Five sliding switches act as turnover controls. They ore used
individually or in combination thereby permitting at least 11 turnover
points Irom 280 to 1350 cycles. Another series of five sliding switches,
similarly used, allow at least 11 different roll-off characteristics to
match almost any record pre-emphasis curve. In addition to a conven-
tional volume control there is a 5-position aural compensator which
maintains proper bass and treble loudness at low volume levels. Power
is obtained from the main amplifier or from a separate supply.

Complete with tubes in attractively

styled cabinet -

Less Cabinet —

MclNTOSH

30 Watt AMPLIFIER

Model A-l 16

Incorporates the famous patented Mcintosh
output circuit for extremely high quality per-
formance. Frequency response at 30 watts is
± 5 db from 10 to 50,000 cycles. Harmonic distortion is less than
5% at 30 watts from 20 to 20,000 cycles. Intermodulotian distortion,
with peak below 60 watts, is less thon 1%. Has two high impedance
inputs for .25 and 2.5 volt signals, and four outputs: 4. 8, 16, and
600 ohms. Power supply is built in, with provision for furnishing power
to Mcintosh and other preamplifiers. Uses 6BG6 output tubes.
Complete with Tubes $143.50

$96.50
88.50

HASTINGS

FM TUNER

for Automobiles

^K^M A Oddity tuner designed

L AV ^E&T fo' use with ony existing AM car ra-
\i W^V--^^^ dio- Covers the entire FM broadcast

^O^**^ band. Employs full Armstrong circuit

with permeability-tuned RF. Automatic frequency control simplifies tuning
and locks in selected station. Sensitivity is 2 miirovolts with full limiting
effected with 5-microvolt input. Provided with four control tuning, volume,
boss boost, and FM- AM selector. Power is obtained from exist. ng AM car
radio. Mounts easily under doshboard with no special antenna requ.red.
Complvt* with mounting bracket, tubes, $99*50
power cable, and instructions — - -

Specify o or 12 volt ignition sysfe

RADIO

COMPANY, INC.

1 03 W. 43rd Street, New York 36, N. Y. JUdson 2-1 500

HRRUEV

'34

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

All About Radio and Television,
by Jack Gould. $1.95. Random
House, New York 1954.

{This book was assigned for review to the
editor's nephew, aged 9, whose critique
follows.)

This book is very interesting to all
boys and girls between the ages of nine
and twelve. The author is Jack Gould,
radio and television editor of The New
York Times. It is illustrated by Bette
J. Davis. This book is one of the All
About Books. It concerns things of
interest to any boy or girl who is
interested in radio, television and radar.
The book has two color diagrams and
explanations of the vacuum tube and
many other things. It tells how to
build your own radio and gives the
price of most of the things you have
to buy and where to get them. The
book also tells many things about
color and black and white television.
It tells about the success of the radar
beam aimed at the moon. And also
how a microphone works and about
the television camera and how it works.
The book costs $1.95 and has 143
pages. It is one of 5 different All About
Books. The book also tells how a
television picture is made and how the
sun effects the broadcasting of some
radio waves. It also tells about the
different uses of radio and about the
Federal Communications Commission.

Christopher Conly

The World's Encyclopedia of Re-
corded Music — Second Supple-
ment, 1 951-1952, compiled by
Francis F. Clough and G.J. Cuming.
262 pages; cloth. London Records,
Inc., in association with Sidgwick
and Jackson, Ltd., London. 1953.
$9-25-

It is several years now since the last
issue of The Gramophone Shop Encyclo-
pedia of Recorded Music made its ap-
pearance. First published in 1935
under the exhaustive editorship of
R. D. Darrell, it was quick to become
the standard reference work for every-
one seriously concerned with recorded
music — whether as producer, pur-
veyor or collector. Two subsequent

editions of this book found their way
onto the shelves, but Mr. Darrell was
no longer associated with it, and the
editors who succeeded him were not
nearly so careful. Consequently,
though it continued to be a worth-
while contribution to the field of dis-
cography, a good deal of its value was
diluted. No new editions seem to be
forthcoming, and those in existence,
while still useful, are now quite dated.

Since the advent of the long-playing
record six years ago, the standard
quick reference work for the average
collector has been that fine little
monthly catalog issued by W.
Schwann in Cambridge, Mass. The
July, 1954, issue, containing a cumu-
lative listing of all available LP classi-
cal, folk, popular and children's rec-
ords, runs to 144 finely printed pages.

But something comparable in scope
to The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia
was needed. That need was met in
1952 with the publication in England
of The World' s Encyclopedia of Recorded
Music, compiled by Francis F. Clough
and G. J. Cuming. It began by listing
all important disks of serious music
recorded electrically — whether extant
or deleted — and many acoustically
recorded disks, up to April, 1950. By
the time it was ready for the printer,
however, the First Supplement, bringing
the listing up to May-June, 1951, had
been bound into the original volume,
which ran to 890 pages and sold for
$17.50.

Despite its high price, this volumin-
ous tome has proved its worth as a
source of reference. Since it was the
work of two Englishmen and was
published in Great Britain, it is in-
clined to list British catalog num-
bers first. But it is so thorough that it
includes pressings in all three speeds
from all countries, with careful atten-
tion to the thousands produced here
in the United States. In addition, there
are careful analyses of the larger world-
wide manufacturers and their respec-
tive national representatives, including
characteristic catalog lettering and
numbering systems.

Continued on page 136

OWN THIS GREAT LIBRARY
for complete authoritative
analyses of all important

AUDIO AMPLIFIERS

Only data of its kind available on hundreds
of important audio amplifiers. Complete,
uniform, detailed analysis ol each unit,
based on actual laboratory study of the
equipment. Includes circuit diagrams,
chassis photo views, parts data, full techni-
cal coverage. Available in four profusely
illustrated volumes — absolutely indispen-
sable to audiophiles, engineers and students.

VOL. 4. Covers 75 audio amplifiers and impor-
tant tuners produced during 1951 and 1952.
Never before available in a single compilation.
352 pages, 8K x 11".

ORDER AA-4. Only. $3.95

VOL. 3. Covers 50 audio amplifiers and 22 FM
and AM tuners made during 1950. Detailed
data on design and servicing. 352 pages,
Shi x 11".

ORDER AA-3. Only $3.95

VOL. 2. Covers 104 amplifiers and 12 tuners
produced in 1949. 368 pages, 8M x 11".
ORDER AA-2. Only $3.95

. Own this complete library of information
on all important Audio Amplifiers

I EST- SELLER ON AUDIO!

"The Recording and
Reproduction of Sound"

Only complete reference on
AUDIO! New second edi-
tion— over 800 pages.
Chapters on sound wave
behavior; recording
methods; the decibel; phono
reproducers; cutting stylii;
microphones; loudspeakers;
dividing networks; attenuators; mixers; ampli-
fiers; tuners; home music systems — hundreds
of other subjects. The great Audio book by
Oliver Read — largest-selling in its field.
ORDER RR. 2. Only $7,95

HOWARD W. SAMS A CO., IHC.

Order from your Parts Jobber today, I

or write direct to Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc. [
2213 East 46th St., Indianapolis 5, Ind.

$ enclosed. Send following books: J

□AA-1 ($3.95) QAA-3 ($3.95) QRR-2 ($7.95) i
□AA-2($3.95) rjAA-4($3.95)

City.

.Zone. . .State J

October, 1954

i35

www.americanradiohistorv.com

The TURNTABLE that

Migh Tidelity

Created . . .
A feature of

['SI

line is the new

"Quartet"

4-Speed Turntable...

cast and precision
machined in aluminum
with rumble free nylon
drive.

Available in several models
of CALIFONE High Fidelity
Portable Phonographs and
Transcription Players, or in
the transcription playing
attachment Model 8V-5 for
connection to your present
amplifier.

WRITE FOR CATALOGUE HF-5

1041 North Sycamore Avenue
Hollywood 38, California

BOOKS

Continued from page 135

Evidently, the editors are making
Certain that their work shall continue
to be as complete, exhaustive and up-
to-date as possible. For now they have
come out with a separate Second Sup-
plement which, in some instances,
brings the listings up to March, 1953,
but which in all cases, includes all
disks issued or reissued up to Janu-
ary 1, 1953.

In this Supplement, Messrs. Clough
and Cuming have gone even further.
They seem to have received a consider-
able amount of correspondence from
readers all over the world, some of it
calling attention to unavoidable errors
or omissions in the original volume.
These corrections, together with the
ones they have discovered, are con-
tained in the introductory pages to the
present Supplement.

If $17.50 seemed a high price to
pay for the original 890-page volume
$9. 25 for this 262-page book seems
positively exorbitant. Since there is
nothing to compare with it, however,
those who value a work of this kind
probably will not mind the stiff cost.
It might be added, too, that for those
who do not already own the first
book, this new Supplement is self-
contained, and can be used by itself,
especially by those who are less in-
terested in older releases.

At any rate everyone connected
with this splendid project is to be
highly commended, and it is devoutly
to be hoped that the same editorial
personnel will continue to make sup-
plements of this sort available at
regular intervals. Paul Affelder

Handel. A Symposium Edited by
Gerald Abraham. 328 pp. Cloth,
$6.00. Oxford University Press,
New York, 1 954.

The Handel "Symposium" continues
a series in which Sibelius, Schumann,
Grieg and Schubert have already been
treated. With the "Master Musicians"
array of nearly thirty volumes edited
by Mr. Eric Blom (J. M. Dent & Sons,
London; Pellegrini & Cudahy, New
York) the Symposiums contribute a
basic library of musical information, a
volume to a composer, quite without
equal in the English-speaking world,
for information, urbanity, clarity and
convenience. In both cases a rational
formula has been established and
qualified men found to realize it.
Continued on page 1)8

WAICO

STATI-CLEAN

ANTISTATIC

§ RECORD SPRAY
Zjjfl STOPS STATIC DUST. Walco
;^?J Stati-Clean is your best
defense against dust — major
cause of record and needle
wear. Stati-Clean spray cleans the disc
surface, stops static electricity that
attracts dust. Handling and "dusting"
no longer builds up static. Stati-Clean
improves fidelity, eliminates static
"crackle." Lasts dozens of plays, no
need to reapply each time. Tested safe —
thousands sold. Complete with special
applicator cloth.

WALCO

PROTECTIVE SLEEVES *T'
FOR RECORDS JM ^ . 4

Walco DISCOVERS H

now with the new VAk?
contoured bottom — are ^ffly
the perfect answer to record
protection. You slide your records into
DISCOVERS, then into the original
jacket. No more scratches, mois-
ture or finger marks from handling.
DISCOVERS seal out dust, protect
against extremes of temperature, acci-
dental spillage of liquids. They keep the
sound safe and sound ! Packaged 12
12-in. sleeves or 15 10-in. sleeves.

' \» WALCO

REPLACEMENT

NEEDLES

FOR LONGER RECORD LIFE

Osmium and sapphire-tipped sty It are rated
only about 20 to 60 hours of play, after which
they develop ehispl-edged Huts. These flatK
shear highs from your records, ruin groove
walls. Periodic needle replacement is an ab-
stlute necessity for the serious music lover.
You replace with the finest when you replace
with Walco needles (and the superb Walco
Diamond) first choice of major cartridge
manufacturers.

SEND FOR FREE BOOKLETS

ON NEEDLE AND RECORD CARE

AT LEADING MUSIC DEALERS EVERYWHERE

nni^rirPm NamtotBmetro

ovox Co, Ik.
Orange, N. J.

I 36

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

Show Time Is Here Again!

See Leonard's AUDIO MART
Exhibits at:

Audio Fair ''Audiorumu 1954"
Hotel New Yorker
Oct. 14-17, Room . 536-537

See the Latest and Finest in
*'Home Mimic Systems'*

^ftetik to our consultants about
assembling a custom system to
suit your requirements.

Hear *'Hi-Fi" at its best and make
I^eonard Kadio "'Audio Marl"
your headquarters.

UNIVEKSITY CLASSIC

Superbly styled, simple in design,
lavishly endowed with tonal perfec-
tion, this multi-speaker system is com-
prised of the University Wide angle
tweeter, Cobraflex-2 horn with driver
unit, and the fabulous C-l 5W low
frequency woofer. The custom built
folded horn cabinet is 34'/2" H x
40,/2" Wx24%" D and may be used
either as a "Hi-Boy" or "Low-Boy"
to suit any room arrangements . . .
available in Cherry or Blonde mahog-
any finish.

Net $387.10

"The Hidden Soul of
R.arnftonjr'** . . . Milton

BOCEN H640C

Sensitivity: FM: 5mv for 20 db

quieting . . . AM: 5m v
Frequency Range: FM: 88- 1 08

MC . . . AM: 530-1650 KC
Frequency Response: ± I db SO-

15.000 cps
Antenna Input: FM: 300 ohm . . .

AM: High impedance loop

or antenna. Low antenna

loop furnished
Audio Output: RM: 4 volts . .

AM: I volt
Controls: (2) Tuning, selector
Power 117 volts, 60 cps AC. 55

watts

Size: R640: 13%" W x 9y4" D x
6%" H

R640G: 1 3'/2 * ' W x 9%" D x
i'A" H

Shipping Weight: R640: 15 lbs.

R640G: 18 lbs.
R640G as shown

RM0 Chassis only

nth cabinet
Net $112.95

The R640G is the companion
tuner to the DBI5G Amplifier.
Useless duplication of controls
is avoided as the R640 has
only two . . . one for tuning
and the other for selection of
the AM or FM band coupled
with control of the AFC Action.

ItOGEN DIM 5

Power Output: 15 watts at 1/2%

Harmonic Distortion
10 Watts at 0.2% Harmonic

Distortion
25 watts peak
Frequency Response: ± 0.5 db

20-20,000 cps
Output Impedance: 8 and 16 ohms
Equalization: Low Frequency: (4)

LP. AES. RIAA. Eur-78
High Frequency: (5) LP, AES,

RIAA, Pop. Flat.
Selector Switch: Tape, Tuner.

Phono, Mic.
Controls: Treble, Volume, Low

Equol. High Equal,, Loudness.

Bass

Power Requirements: 117 volts 60
cps AC, 95 wotts

S'ZeH '%'l W * 9%" D * AVi"
l3'/2" W x V/4" D x 6i/4" H-
DBI5G

Shipping Weight: DBI5: 22 lbs
DBI5G: 25 lbs.

Now for the first time you
can own Audio components
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and mechanical design so com-
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it provides a solution to every
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ing the optimum of operating
flexibility and superb perform-
ance.

DBI5G As Shown with cabinet
Net $99.00
D81 5 Chassis Only Net $89.95

University Companion

The Companion blends into many deco-
rative potterns for the music room, librory,
living room, den or any other room where
a speoker moy be desired. Its 3 Way
high fidelity system employs a University
Woofer, Midrange -tweeter, acoustically
balance three way dividing network. Its
built-in Sessions Automatic Timeclock will
turn on your set at a predetermined hour,
record your favorite program while you
are away, and even shut itself off auto-
matically. Becomes an attractive floor
unit with the addition of Wrought Iron
legs. Size: 9%" H x 24M W x 10" D.

Net $97.51
Wrought Iron Legs 5.88

University ClSW Woofer

Here is the most advanced develop-
ment in low frequency speaker de-
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jimit with reduced harmonic and
intermodulation distortion.

Power Capacity,
Response.
Impedance.
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Up to 50 Wotts
30 to 3.000 cps.
4-8, 10-20 ohms
24 lbs.
NET $73.50

Audio- Matt

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October, 1954

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Also knockdown speaker
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All Hi-Fi and television cabinets available
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BOOKS

Continued from page 136

(j^Ten courses are given to Handel,
from "Handel the Man," by Percy
M. Young, to "Some Points of Style,"
by Mr. Abraham. Mr. Basil Lam has
written well on "Orchestral Music"
and "Church Music." The Operas
are properly the property of Prof. Ed-
ward J. Dent in a witty dissertation.
The Oratorios are described by Mr.
Julian Herbage, the Keyboard Music
by Miss Kathleen Dale, the Chamber
Music by Mr. John Horton, and the
Songs and Cantatas by Mr. Anthony
Lewis. There is a catalog of Handel's
works, and a brief calendar of the
principal events in the composer's life
follows the catalog. There are a
bibliography and an index.

The purely biographical material
here is scant, in keeping with the plan
of the series to consider the music
rather than the musician. But the man
emerges from the discussion of his
work, a cultivated man of the world, a
rara avis indeed in the realm of the
greatest music. His courage and
tenacity — qualities which antagonize
people — have been elsewhere em-
phasized to the belittlement of the
qualities which brought friends to him
in Germany, Italy and the British Isles.
The nature of the music is described in
broad but sophisticated terms by all
these writers sympathetic to the great
man but withal critical and objective.
Opinion is so suavely urged that it
seems fact, and fact is enlivened by
sensitive reference to historical — not
necessarily musical — background.

The book has been so clearly planned
that except for the natural variety of
literary styles it can seem to be the
work of a single intelligence. There
are few duplications even of comment,
and yet a general point of view shared
by all the associates is manifest. It is
an excellent work to serve as an intro-
duction to Handel, and as a handbook
of preliminary research. It does not
profess to do this, and that is not the
least of its beneficences: it instructs
without didacticism or patronage.

C. G. Burke

Continued on page 140

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High Fidelity Magazine

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'39

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The Finest Recording...

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BOOKS

Continued from page 138

Festivals Europe, Robert Meyer,
Jr. 328 pages, 5V2 x 8V4. Cloth.
Ives Washburn, Inc., New York,
1954. $4.00.

For the festive-minded traveler who
failed to get to Europe again this year,
but is definitely planning a junket next
year, this guide-book is a must. There
are over 600 festivals in 21 countries
every year and to attend even half of
them would obviously be impossible.
Thus, festivals Europe can give you a
hand in selecting the most interesting.
They (the festivals) run from eatin'
to drinkin" to bull-fightin' and music-
listenin' (surprisingly little of the lat-
ter as compared with the others).
Mr. Meyer, who, incidentally, runs a
Festival Information Service, arranges
his guide-book alphabetically by coun-
try, with a chronological calendar of
events by the month at the end of
each chapter. A comprehensive index
rounds out the book. Festivals Europe
is a companion work to the 1950 vol-
ume (by the same author) entitled
Festivals U.S.A.

Warren B. Sver

Antonin Dvorak, by Otakar Sourek.
1 36 pages; photographs; cloth.
Philosophical Library, New York,
1954. $3.75-

As the bibliography in the back of this
book shows, biographical studies of
Antonin Dvorak are not especially
wanting, though the literature con-
cerning the Czech master would be a
mere drop in the bucket compared to
that devoted to, say, Beethoven or
Wagner. Also, judging from this
bibliography, Otakar Sourek would
appear to be somewhat of an authority
on Dvorak and his works. It was he,
who compiled for Dvorak's publisher,
Simrock, a "chronological, thematic
and systematic catalogue" of his
music; who wrote a four-volume Dvor-
ak biography in Czech; who collabor-
ated with Paul Stefan in his work on
the composer; who compiled several
volumes of Dvorak's letters, and who
wrote the Dvorak article in Grove's
Dictionary. All this, surely, would
seem to qualify him as the author of
yet another study of the man and his
music.

That might have accounted for the
big letdown imparted by the present
Continued on page 141

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I40

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com'

BOOKS

Continued from page 140

volume, except for the fact that it was
approached in complete innocence of
this information. The book turned
out to be a big disappointment purely
on its own merits — or lack of them.

First of all, it is inconceivable that a
man who once devoted four whole
volumes to a study of a man and his
works could condense everything into
136 pages. What is far worse, only 31
of them deal with Dvorak's life. This
means that the facts are barely skimmed
over, completely without recourse to
details or dates.

Somewhat greater detail is encoun-
tered in the book's longest section, in
which the author discusses the music.
Here he proves his general fairness as
an appraiser and his sensitivity to the
points of beauty in the music, as well
as its national characteristics. Once
again, however, he fails to supply
such pertinent information as dates
and circumstances of first perform-
ances, motivations for the creation of
certain works, and quotations from
contemporary criticisms.

Fortunately, the book does possess
two worth-while sections. One is the
three-page preface, which outlines
succinctly the basic history of Czech
music. The other is the complete
chronological catalog of Dvorak's
works, classified by types of music.
The aforementioned bibliography is
also an asset. But the book is without
an index which, to one perennial re-
searcher, at least, renders it practically
useless.

As if all this were not enough, the
English version, either the work of the
author or some understandably un-
identified translator, is extremely awk-
ward and often difficult to comprehend.

Since the book was printed in
Prague, it appears likely that the Ameri-
can publisher bought a cat in a bag.
Certainly, Philosophical Library has
demonstrated that it is capable of pro-
ducing much better, more valuable
volumes than this.

Paul Affelder

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October,

1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

comer harn
i leer system
IBLV Kit

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Klipsch speaker system at a surpris
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The Kit is made up of pre-cut
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thentic Klipschorn.

Klipsch-designed acoustic elements,
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Write for the new Shorthorn folder
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Sir:

I would like to be able to run two or
three speakers from the same amplifier.
One speaker would require a lead of
about 100 feet in length from the am-
plifier; further, this lead would not be
continuous because I would like to be
able to take the speaker into the back
yard, then plug the audio line into a
socket at the end of the line coming
from the amplifier. The other speaker
would be about 50 feet away from the
amplifier. Now, I would like to make
each of the two or three speakers inde-
pendent from the others; i.e., to be
able to switch on only one speaker
at a time.

My questions then can be summa-
rized as "How do I do all this?" —
preferably without soldering, as I don't
know how to solder.

Because I am not technically "with
it," I would appreciate your giving me
exact directions and specific parts
names.

D. W. Gilbert

491 1 W. Lake Street

Chicago 44, III.

// is a relatively simple matter to make a
multiple-speaker setup such as you desire,
but not without soldering — that is, if
you want to be able to vary the sound out-
put of each speaker independently of the
others.

If you must do the job without solder-
ing, the first diagram shows a workable
system. The resistor can be connected direct-
ly across the amplifier output terminals; it
should be at least equal in power rating
to the amplifier. Its purpose is to protect
the output transformer in the event that all
speakers are disconnected at the same time.

The second diagram requires soldering
but has the advantage that each speaker's
volume can be adjusted independently of
the others. The switches can be mounted in
a row on a small thin piece of plywood or
Masonite, and the individual level controls
(if used) mounted to the corresponding
switch. Alternatively, the level controls
can be installed at the remote speaker loca-
tions.

At the end of the cable to the outdoor
speaker you can attach any standard two-
conductor connector, such as the Jones
P-404-CCT, or a polarized-type AC con-
nector or phone jack and plug if soldering

is not possible. Standard 18-gauge AC
cord (or heavier) is suitable for speaker
leads. If the lead to the outdoor speaker
is to be exposed to the weather continu-
ously, special weatherproof cable should be
used.

6ARRICR-TVPC TERMINAL STRIPS

Two multi-speaker circuits, one solderless.

Sir:

I have been endeavoring to locate
grille cloth in a light shade, tan, that
will blend with our contemporary
motif and have had little success
through Detroit's main audio outlets.
My only objection to the cloths these
companies carry is that they are all
dark in color.

Can you give me any leads on sup-
pliers who might be able to furnish
grille cloth of this type?

W. W. Slocumjr.

1592 Washington Blvd.

Birmingham, Mich.

Suitable grille cloth can usually be ob-
tained at an upholstery or drapery shop.
Many of the newer burlap and boucle
fabrics have weaves open enough for
sbeaker grilles and, at the same time, blend
well with other home furnishings.

When using light-colored cloth to cover

142

High Fidelity Magazinr

www.americanradiohistorv.com

speaker holes, the holes will be visible
unless you paint the wood behind the cloth
and the inside edges of the holes black. Flat
paint is to be preferred.

Sir:

Becoming increasingly concerned with
what is probably the weakest link in
audio systems today, the loudspeaker
(s) and enclosure(s), my attention has
been turned to the air-coupler type of
assembly. In the articles printed since
the inception of High Fidelity, three
basic designs have emerged: a stand-
ard air-coupler, 6 to 8 ft. long, using
straight air columns; a standard coup-
ler backed up by a reflex cabinet; and
the junior air-coupler, using expanding
air columns.

Combinations and modifications of
the three are seemingly inexhaustible.
However, with limited time, space, and
money, experimentation must be con-
fined within a narrow field. I therefore
write this letter to harvest information
from you, the editors, and from in-
formed readers.

My questions are these:

1) Can the philosophy behind the
design of the junior air-coupler's air
columns be adapted to 6 or 8 ft.
models? (Would this be a desirable
modification, i.e., produce better bass
than the standard models?)

2) What are the relations of the re-
flex port to the coupler's port, and to
the entire reflex enclosure, in the
triplex air-coupler (it,, port size and
placement)?

3) How does one go about design-
ing a reflex enclosure to "match" the
coupler. What cross-sectional shapes
and dimensions can and cannot be
used?

I know this letter is already too long,
but one more burning question. Much
talk includes the term "matched com-
ponents." What means this "match-
ing," and how does one determine if
components are matched, and how to
correct mismatching?

L. A. Marks
1 160 East 8th St.
Brooklyn 30, N. Y.

First — the main advantage of the
junto r air-coupler, or at least the one of most
practical importance, is the saving in space
provided by the tapered columns. the
longest column is a little over 7 ft. Now,
the 6 and 8-ft. dual models are substan-
tially long with respect to breadth, and
this basic shape is not compatible with the
tattered column idea. Certainly, tapered-

Continued on page 144

FOR DISCRIMINATING LISTENERS

The autheivtic Kupschoriv, created for those who
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Its three horn-loaded speakers give you over nine
octaves of faithful music re-production, true to the tone
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The hass driver is mounted in an exclusive Klipsch-
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Write for our newest brochure on the Klipschorn and
the name of your Klipsch dealer.

KLIPSCH & ASSOCIATES

HOPE, ARKANSAS

TELEPHONES:
PRospect 7-3395
PSospect 7-4538
PRospect 7 5575
PRospect 7-5514

See us at the New York Audio Fair, J ;
Hotel New Yorker Room 851 I ;

America's "ONLY" !!
FM-AM

* TELEFUNKEN

Made of sturdy thick brown plastic with
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Weight: 10 lbs.

HIGH FIDELITY at its finest, compact ',\

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whisper. This Telefunken radio is equip- 1 »

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for true high notes. Separate bass and <\

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Below a partial list of some of the most \

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New York: G. Schirmer ]►

Abercrombie & Fitch j •

Philadelphia: j I

Witte Radio & Television Co. ', \

Washington, D. C: J[

Campbell Music Co. \>

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Choice fronchlstd farrlforltt available. < ►

'44

AUDIO FORUM

Continued from page 143

column couplers can be built in which the
columns are longer than those in the
present junior air-coupler, but the optimum
column arrangements would probably be
different than that now used, and the out-
side dimensions would not necessarily in-
clude one 0/ 6 or 8 ft.

When a reflex column is added to an
air-coupler, certain design considerations
apply generally:

1) the column should be substantially
longer than the average cross-section dimen-
sion, and should be ported at the end away
from the speaker.

2) reflex column length should prefer-
ably be about 20% to 30% longer than the
longest column within the coupler or should
be half way in length between the two
longest columns within the coupler.

3) the cross-section shape of the reflex
column can be any that is convenient; the
cross-section area can be from one to five
or six times that of the average cross-section
area of the longest column within the
coupler.

4) reflex column port area must be ad-
justed by experiment, since there are so
many possible variations in length, cross-
section shape, and cross-section area of the
column.

Matching audio system components is
largely a matter of using common sense.
For instance, you wouldn 'I buy an FM-AM
tuner with a built-in preamplifier and tone
controls if you were going to use a separate
preamplifier-control unit too, or if your
amplifier had those controls. You wouldn't
use a p ream p -control unit that had a
nominal output of one volt maximum
when driven by the phono cartridge you've
selected, if your amplifier required 1V2
volts drive for full output. And you
wouldn't put a very bassy speaker in a
bassy enclosure or use an exceptionally
bright speaker with a bright cartridge.

Sir:

I have an automatic record changer that
shuts itself off after playing a record.
When the record ends, a very loud bang
is heard, and when the preamplifier
volume control is turned off another
bang (quite big) is heard — sort of
makes you jump out of your seat.

What is wrong? I don't mind a click,
but an explosion is a far different mat-
ter.

C. R. Craig

5627 Cote des Neiges

Montreal, P. Q., Canada

The loud bangs you hear when you turn

equipment you, as a high fidelity en-
thusiast, are interested in its many
technical aspects. Frequency response,
signal-to*noise ratio, flutter and wow
are, certainly, all important. And in
these aspects the FME Tape Recorder
is incomparable in its price class.

Yet, in the truest sense only your ear
can really distinguish the quality of fine
recorded sound. Only your trained touch
can really judge the simple, smooth oper-
ation of a tape recorder. It is for this
reason that Federal, without bold refer-
ence to technical specifications, invites
you, the real jury, to listen to the FME.

Hear for yourself Federal's triumph
in sound. Feel for yourself its quality
construction, its smooth, simple opera-
tion. Playback any tape — either 3% or
7'/£ IPS. Test its single knob control,
its fast forward and rewind, its separate
volume and tone controls and many
other wanted features.

Then look at the price — we're sure
you'll be delightfully surprised.

Only $ J 39.95. Slightly higher on West
Coast. Supplied complete uilk ceramic
microphone, reel of magnetic tape, take-
up reel, power cord and plug. 1..39

FEDERAL MANUFACTURING
AND ENGINEERING CORP.

215 Steuben Strttt, Brooklyn i. N T,
CKrDtl CI. IS I'M TS UTorir. 5r., H 1. ID, *, V.
(□Mr! SIMQHTIKE HEW VDI[ al' lofel

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

off the preamplifier power switch and
when your record player shuts itself off are
caused by electric arcs across the switch
terminals. They can be cured quickly and
easily by connecting .01 -microfarad con-
densers across the preamp AC switch
terminals and across the terminals of the
automatic motor shutoff switch. The con-
densers should be of the paper dielectric
type rated at 600 volts.

Sir:

Living as we must with people sur-
rounding us, I have often wondered if
earphones exist which could do a
reasonably satisfactory job in providing
good individual hearing of music. If
such there be, can they be used by
tapping the usual 4-8-16 ohm outputs
of most amplifiers?

John L. Vitolo
1932 Home Avenue
New York 16, N. Y.

/; is, unfortunately, a physically im-
mutable fact that earphones cannot repro-
duce low frequencies well. However, the
Permoflux type DHS-28B earphones are
efficient, free from distortion, have extended
high-frequency response and as good low-
frequency response as possible, and are of
25 ohms impedance. Thus, they can be
used on the i6-ohm output terminals of an
amplifier. Cost — S39.20. There may be
others of good quality, also, but these are
the only low-impedance hi-fi earphones of
which we are aware.

Sir:

Can you give me the title of any one
book or books which completely cover
the theory and practice of speaker
baffling?

I would like to have a publication
which treats not only infinite baffle
and reflex enclosures but also the ex-
ponential horns, back-loaded horns,
labyrinths, Helmholtz resonators, air-
couplers, etc. I would also like to
study room acoustics and such other
sound principles as organ pipes,
strings, etc.

Richard H. Grace
Harbor View Apts. C-3
Portsmouth, Virginia

We don't know of any single book that
treats loudspeaker baffling exclusively and
in great detail. It seems that it is usually
covered as part of the general subject of
hi-fi audio. Two books that do a better,
more thorough job than most are Briggs:
Sound Reproduction and Read: Re-
cording and Reproduction of Sound.

Continued on page 147

HI-FI

. . . not a legend but the true story of a gal

who wanted the best buy in HI-FI systems . . .
but didn't know the questions, let alone the
answers! Sr> Heidi came to Brooklyn's only

exclusive HI-FI CENTER, got the lowdawn on
. . . and just the HI-FI system she needed at a very

modest pricel So come talk, come listen fram 10 a.m. to
9 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, Friday and Saturday till

6 p.m. Liberal trade-ins an used equipment.

brooklyn

2128 Caton Ave., Brooklyn 26,N.Y.,BU 2-5300

(corner Flatbush)

October, 1954

The ^^eufiff^mdo&fe preamplifier

NED Q

marantz (p

The discriminating listener is distinguished for his critical subjec-ive
appraisal of reproduced sound; the audio engineer, for quality evaluaion
through technical, objective means. That the Marantz Audio Conscbtte
has found favor with both is evidence not only of its splendid performance,
but of its superb design and construction as well.

These are the features; ■ 7-position Selector Switch ■ Continuously Variable 3oss
and Treble Controls ■ Separate Turnover and Rolloff Controls for Records ■ Smooth-
octing Volume Control ■ Loudness Compensator which does not affect volume ■
Frequency Response. 1 7 to 50,000 cycles zfc 1 db. . . . plus msny other advanced
features.

User's Net Price complete with tubes and cabinet S155
Chassis I less cabinetl available at lower cost
Wherever Fine Audio Equipment is Jold

Write lor Complete Details-.

S. b. marantZ 25 West 43rd Street, New York 36, N. Y.

www.americanradiohistorv.com

WITH OTHER
LEADING
BRANDS

The new WA-410, for example , . .
here is an amplifier-preamp com-
bination with all of the features of
more expensive units, at a price
that is little more than you would
expect to pay for the preamp alone.

Correlated dual concentric con-
trols, printed circuits and Mc-
Gohan's production efficiency com-
bine to provide a unit of complete
flexibility and unequalled value.

To inform and protect the Listener

The Audio League . . .

... an Independent consumers' research and
testing organization, serving the owner,
buyer and builder of audio equipment for the
home . . ■

. . . founded by engineers, musicians and
hobbyists actively interested in high-fidelity
recording and reproduction of sound. No
staff member has any financial interest in the
manufacture or sale of any audio product.
Through experience and education, each staff
member is technically qualified, esthetically
developed and highly competent - - -

... to help render a service not adequately
performed by other organizations . . . audio

is too specialized for full coverage by the
general consumers' organizations . . . sales
personnel are not always guided by the
need and interest of the buyer . . even pro-
fessional engineers lack the facilities and
resources . . .

... to make definitive measurements and
impartial comparative listening tests on
commercial audio equipment and on kits for
the home builder. The Audio League per-
forms complete electrical tests on stock, un-
selected units, then subjects each to listening
tests under conditions carefully chosen to
reduce the element of bias. Test results are
published in . .

The Audio League Report . . .

. . . the monthly publication of The Audio
League. It accepts no advertising and is
thus free to speak openly, separating true
and meaningful claims from false or exag-
gerated claims. Test results are stated as
FACT, appraisals and recommendations are
labeled OPINION. Reports are complete
enough to satisfy the engineer, and clear
enough to please everyone. There is infor-
mation which , . .

. . . explains how to get the most for your
money. The Report tells how to apportion a
given sum among the components of an audio
system . . . the makes and models which
are good buys . . . how to obtain the best
performance from your system . how to

maintain this performance . . . and how to
plan for additions to your system. There is
also material which . . .

. . ■ keeps you posted on all things audio;
new product announcements, reports on
shows, fairs and meetings, reviews of per-
tinent articles and books, discussions of
current ideas in the audio field.

. . . not sold at news-stands . . . available by
subscription only. Annual subscription
$3.00. or $2.50 each in groups of three or more.
Three-month trial subscription $1.00. Sub-
scribe now. For the protection that only
honest information can give, send your check
or money order to . . .

The Audio League

Vleasantville, N.

High Fidelity Magazinf

DOM McGOHAN inc.

3700 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago 24, Illinois

www.americanradiohistorv.com

IS IT HIGH-FIDELITY?

NOW ARROW ELIMINATES
THE CONFUSION

Due to the unprecedented demand for High
Fidelity components and associated equip-
ment, we have found many units labeled
High Fidelity on the market which are no
better than the average music reproducing
systems used in the past.
The Audio Center has, therefore, deemed
It necessary to set a minimum standard
for any unit deserving our designation
High Fidelity.

The Arrow Audio Center has set up a
laboratory to check each unit through rigid
acoustical and electrical tests. Those units
which meet Arrow's standards will bear the
Arrow Audio Center "Tag of Approval." All
equipment on display in the Audio Center
sound rooms or advertised by us bearing
this tag of approval will guarantee to the
public products worthy of our High Fidelity
designation.

FREE!

New 1954 Audio Handbook

104 pages of down-to-earth Hi-Fi
information the Audiophile should
know. Plus illustrations and spe-
cifications of all quality Hi-Fi
equipment. Write to Dept. H or
visit our Sound Studios for your
Free copy.

HWtn AN J.UUIO UI
S5-M COftTLANOT 5T„ NEW YORK 7. N.Y.

IT'S NEW!
^ tT'S

DIFFERENT!

Keeping records clean always has been a
problem. No need to tell record users that
cleanliness is vital to the life and performance
of all discs.

Now, for the first time, a record brush has
been developed which correctly and tfficiwtty
solves that problem. The new REK O KIEEN
record brush is easily attached to any player
and functions perfectly on all size, all speed
discs. What's more, it's so designed that
REK O KlEEN's pre-set brush angle sweeps
the spinning platter gently and effectively at
any and every turntable height.

If your records hove meaning, tht best way for
cleaning is REK O KIEEN.

INDIVIDUALLY PACKED
IN SMART GIFT BOX

Kf?*.l Products

SEE IT AT THE
N.Y AUDIO FAIR

AUDIO FORUM

Continued from page 145

A good basic treatment of acoustics and
resonators can be found in Olson: Musical
Engineering. These books are generally
available or can be purchased from High
Fidelity's book department at $3.50,
and $6.50 respectively.

Sir:

I am interested in picking up two
Chicago FM stations. These are
WFMT (98.7 mc.) and WEFM (99.5
me). Chicago is about 120 miles from
here and we live in a valley. However,
I can pick up the stations now with
considerable background noise and I
only have a simple all-directional FM
double-dipole on the roof.

In particular I would like to know
if I bought a Yagi cut for 99.1 mc,
would it be suitable for bringing in
these two stations? In other words
just how sensitive is a Yagi?

Also I am interested in finding out if
a Yagi could be put on the same mast
that my other antenna is on (any
interference)? Could the lead-in wire
from the Yagi be soldered to the old
lead-in just below the double-dipole
(or vice-versa if the Yagi is placed
below the dipole)?

Richard M. Taylor
603 Village Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan

A Yagi antenna cut for 99.1 mc. would
be entirely capable of picking up both
WFMT and WEFM. Depending on the
number and type of elements, Yagis are
ordinarily operative at reasonable effi-
ciency over a bandwidth of roughly 5%.
At least one new design (see Tested In The
Home, May 1954) covers the whole FM
band quite well.

The Yagi can be mounted on the same
mast as the other antenna, but separate
lead-in wires should be used. Small, inex-
pensive switches are available for 300-ohm
lines; you'll need one of them at the tuner to
switch between the two antenna lines.

Just as important as the antenna in ex-
treme fringe areas is the type of lead-in
wire used. A discussion of the matter was
given in "Putting the Fringe on Your
Antenna," High Fidelity, July 1954.

Finally, a good booster will often help to
bring a station in out of the noise if a well-
designed Yagi and transmission-line in-
stallation do not do so entirely.

Sir:

Here are some things I would like to
Continued on page 149

The above signature is that of the founder
. and head of the world-wide "TANNOY "
organization. GUY R. FOUNTAIN has
for more than a quarter of a century heen
the leading pioneer in Europe in all that
is hest in sound engineering. He controls
one of the most comprehensive audio
research laboratories in existence. Certain
specialized Tannoy products — manu-
factured regardless of expense to the very
highest standards of performance, relia-
bility and styling — bear his personal
autograph.

In all cases they are complete entities
rather than components, for instance, the
Autograph Enclosure (embodying the
well-known Tannoy Dual Concentric
Loudspeaker) shown in America for the
first time at last year's Audio Fair, excited
tremendous enthusiasm by its outstand-
ing performance and it is now available
elegantly styled for the American market.

A new addition this year is the Autograph
Front End — the most versatile and
comprehensive correction pre-amplifier
also to be released for the first time in
America this yearwill be a" Variluctance"
Phono Cartridge. All of these product;
aredesigned and produced in the tradition
so ably established in another sphere ol
engineering by Mr. Rolls and Mr. Royce,
namely that performance, style and
reliability are paramount, all other con-
siderations are secondary.

In order that users of these, and indeed
the entire range of Tannoy equipment,
may enjoy first class service a new V.S
organization "Tannoy (America) Ltd.,"
has been formed. American personnel
trainrd at the Tannoy factories, London.
England, will have availahle in the New
York premises comprehensive test and
measurement facilities and will, of course,
be able to deal with all queries, technical
and otherwise, with a minimum of delay.
In the meantime, descriptive literature of
Tannoy products is available on request.

^tannoy/

TANNOY

(AMERICA) LTD.
61 East End Ave.
New York, 28. N.Y.

TANNOY

(Canada) ltd,
36 Wrllingmn St. East.
Toronto 1, Ontario.
Cmnada

October, 1954

147

www.americanradiohistorv.com

THE LATEST WORD IN DUST-FREE • STATIC-FREE RECORDS

STATI MUTE

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SIMPLE TO INSTALL

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MULTI-IMPEDANCE DYNAMIC MICROPHONE

at Recording Time"

— say actual users* in the field
and here are a few reasons why . . .

"This microphone lias been used for tape
recording 15-minute shows for future
airing on a nearby radio slation. We
like il fine, and it docs take a beating."
Speech and Drama Director, Ind.

**We are using this microphone with
good results on our recorder."

Audio-Visual Librarian, Va.

vjBL "Wonderful for wire recording purposes

and V.J
Jj cording

and I' .A. use. I use it mainly for re-
Sound Service, Massachusetts

VS]| **Used for recording organ music Per*
formance is very satisfactory; especially
Jj good on highs."

Recording Professional, Colorado

feSk "Very good output and fidelity. Used
vf^ for recording for broadcast purposes.''
jp— ' Producer and Director, Canada

"Excellent results in recording and for
comments in the showing of motion pic-
tures."

Amateur, Sew York

Model "51" Sonodyne • List Price $45.00
Available at
Share Distributors Everywhere!

• In.ltVi.lual nai

SHURE BROTHERS, Inc.

MICROPHONES and ACOUSTIC DEVICES

225 West Huron St., Chicago 10, Illinois
Cable Address SHUREMICRO

Plcaw send me FREE ShUre Microphone catalogs

Name

Address.
City

All LEADING
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$P00

LIST

• Preserve Record

• Preserve Styli

• Preserve original back-
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by eliminating the attrac-
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LASTS FOREVER

IN HANDSOME
PLASTIC BOX

EBV

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130 LAFAYETTE ST.
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QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR EVERY RADIO • TV • HI-FI NEEDS

■ lie nun

ONE OF THE GREAT NAMES IN RADIO SINCE 1922

The pattern of quality so steadfastly followed
over the years by Freed-Eisemonn reaches new
dimensions with their amazing high fidelity tuners
and amplifiers . . . outstanding individually —
exceptional together. Engineering efficiency is
matched by economy of design.

The name millions remember...
I For the music
J they never forget

The Model 750 Tuner

Engineered for Superior Sensitivity
and Unexcelled Performance
Here, on one chassis, are combined a Hi-Fi AM-
FM tuner of maximum sensitivity with an audio
"front end'* second to none. AM and FM circuits
designed (or maximum gain at minimum noise
. . . automatic frequency controlled FM termi-
nating in a Foster-Seely Limiter Discriminator.
Separate bass and treble controls. Three posi-
tions of phono equalization. Modern circuitry
and multi-purpose tubes achieve 13 CI 'JO
tube performance Net «pivil

.State

The Model 910

Hi-Fi Amplifier

Designed for Maximum Efficiency
and Exceptional Tone Quality
Powerful enough to suit most applications, this
10 wait Williamson type linear amplifier sets a
new standard for design efficiency. Into each cir-
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and the most essential character- CAQ OR
istics of superb reproduction. Net -ptu.iJU

For information see your local Hi-Fi dealer
or write Dept. 2

a product of

Freed Electronics and Controls Corporation, 200 Hudson Street, New York 13. N. Y.

148

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

AUDIO FORUM

Continued from page 141

be able to get information about:

When and how often to change the
playing needle.

Is a diamond needle superior to the
ordinary sapphire needle in playing
quality and length of its life, and that
of the records.

The best methods of keeping the
records clean so that the needle will
not pick up dirt and fuzz from the
record grooves; what are the best ma-
terials to use for this purpose?

How to judge records when buying
that is, the physical condition of
the record. What to look for. Whether
it is strictly new and unused.

Any books on this subject.

My investment in records is high,
and naturally I wish to protect it.
Edgar A. Roe
2436 Joseph Campau Ave.
Detroit 7, Michigan

// is generally conceded that the maxi-
mum safe playing time of a microgroove
sapphire stylus is about 30 hours. This
varies, of course, with the stylus pressure
and the type of arm used. Diamonds last
ten to twenty times as long under equiva-
lent conditions, so you can see that a dia-
mond is really much less expensive in the
long run.

Most of the standard record sprays
reduce dirt accumulation because they
prevent the formation of static charges on
the records, which then do not attract
dust from the air. Record brushes are also
effective in keeping records clean, but can't
be used with a changer unless the records
are played manually one at a time.

Judging the condition of a record from
its appearance is not infallible, since it may
appear to be faultless yet contain pops
and clicks; or it may have a visible imper-
fection that is not audible on playing.
However, you can usually detect whether
or not it has been played by the condition
of the label in the region of the spindle hole.
If it shows marks where it has been rubbed
on the spindle while the person who played
it attempted to locate the hole, then it is
obviously not in mint condition. Again,
this is not an infallible test, because once
in a great while the spindle is hit im-
mediately when the record is put on the
turntable.

Some good books on the general subject
of high fidelity are:

The Saturday Review Book of Home
Music Reproduction — Canby, Burke,
Kolodin.

Continued on page 151

PORTRAITIST

Complete 3<way system $335

Those who like treble tones issued in a screeching, smoldering beam
don't think much of the Portraitist. Neither do devotees of groaning,
cabinet-rattling bass. But those who like music from a speaker sys-
tem — who want realistic sound images — are invariably satisfied
at last by this one. The full audible range, without emphasis on any
part; smooth, rigid bass; crisp, sparkling middle-range and highs,
uniformly distributed throughout the listening area; these are ob-
tained from three superb speakers baffled in our exclusive manner.
Cabinets are conservative and uniquely beautiful in light, medium,
or dark mahogany; available also in a corner model, the Muralist.
at $310. Inquiries are invited.

THE

RAM

COMPANY ■ P.O. BOX 221 D ■ GREAT BARRI NGTON, MASS

INSTALL YOUR OWN

PREAMPLIFIER

$14.95

• FULL EQUALIZATION • INDIVIDUALLY TESTED

Here's why R & B is
easiest to Install . . .

I • No soldering — for any installa-
tion

• Built-in Automatic Power Switch
— just plug it in.

• Pickup loading resistor easily
changed — use only a screw
driver.

• Standard plug-in connectors —
or use screw-type terminals if
needed.

• NEGLIGIBLE DISTORTION

Are you planning to modernize and im-
prove a conventional home phonograph or
phono combination, or add a record-player
to a radio or TV set?

Do it the Hi-Fi way with the magnetic
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RB-1 preamplifier.

You can make a professional installation
with no tools except a screwdriver.

— AT YOUR DEALER, OR USE COUPON

R & B Electronic* Co., Box 6998, Washington 20, D. C.

□ Send RB-l's, OPayment enclosed, ship prepaid (U.S.)

@ $14.95 DShip collect, 25% enclosed.

NAME-

ADDRESS—

City

MY DEALER'S NAME.

□Send only free literatwi

md specification!.

October, 1954

'49

www.americanradiohistorv.com

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

CALIFORNIA

In Southern California
For the Ultimate in
HI-FI

it s

w Listen

Leisurely
and Compare in an at-
tosphere which reflects the
comfort of your own living room.

_J CiMMrim Stoat Drivi Lb Atftta «. Cilfwsii

togHggfto Carlkay Circle Theater) Imk HII

"WE HAVE IT'

Hi-Fi Components Exclusively

HOLLYWOOD
ELECTRONICS

7460 MELROSE AVENUE
LOS ANGELES 46, CALIFORNIA

WEb.Hr 3-8208

" EVERYTHING "

in high fidelity
From Primary Components
to Completed Custom Installations
VISIT OUR NEW "AUDIO-PHILE HAVEN"
or write to

KlERULFF

t^ouru/ {fir p.

Ktn Wat Olymnie Blvd. Lot AnatU* iS, Calif.
Richmond 7-OJ71 ZEnilh 0171

tZ. LECTRONIC
AbOCATOCIES

7356 Melrose Avenue. Ut Angekn 44, Califomlo
WAInul 5403 YOrk 3872

The ultimate in High Fidelity
at net prices.

IT'S youts!

THE VERY BEST IN HIGH FIDELITY

Hal Cox Custom Music

2598 Lombard
San Francisco 23, California

WEtt 1-3134 NET PRICES WE»I 1-3135

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON, D. C.

• Components at net prices
Custom cabinets
Service on all electronics

finest guaranteed equipment In Hi-Fi.

custom hi-fi

1642 Connecticut Ave., N. W.

RECORDING TAPE (PLASTIC BASE)

WASHINGTON WHERE ^^i? THERE

D. C. BE MORE RED » TAPE?

1200 ft. plastic tape with plastic reel included.
Each reel individually boxed. Choice of nation-
ally famous top quality brands such as: Reeves
(SPN-1J) 3.20; Webcor (2906) 3.20; Audio (1251)
3.23; Scotch (111-A) 3.23; Irish, Professional
grade. (211 RPA) 3.30.

I New empty plastic reels in boxes for easy la-
being— 3". 10c; 4"-22c; 5"-24c; 7"-30c each.
EMPTY BOXES 3"-3c-4"-5c-5"-5c:7"-10c.

PLEASE INCLUDE SUFFICIENT POSTAGE

COMMISSIONED ELECTRONICS CO.
2503 Chomploln St., N. W., Washington 9, D. C.

The Best in High Fidelity

audio workshop, inc.

* Equipment

* Custom installations

* Service

Chicago's most complete stork
of Hi-Fi records and tapes

2734 W. Touhy SHeldrake 3-3264

Contemporary American Furniture

CABINET MAKERS

Specializing in Hi Fidelity

725 S. La Salle, Chicago 5, 111.
WE 9-2868

CHICAGO

Hi-Fi Equipment & Records t

NO NEED TO BUY HI-FI 3

BY MAIL — SEE AND HEAR £

ANYTHING YOU WANT AT S

deHaan Hi-Fi |

1655 W. 79th St.

ABerdeen 4-4200

ILLINOIS (continued)

THE HI-FI CENTER

complete demonstration facilities
components • custom installation

DISTRIBUTORS OF EVERYTHING IN ELECTRONICS
Prerecorded Tap* and Records
ROgers Park 4-8640
2909 WEST DEVON AVE. • CHICAGO 45

Clect>io*uc SicpediteJU.

art hur nagel, inc.

Complete Selection
Hi-Fi Equipment

918 E. 55th ST. CHICAGO

BUtterlield 8-5050

Write for free catalog

VOICE AND VISION

HI-FI SPECIALISTS

• COMPONENTS

• CUSTOM DESIGNING

• INSTALLATIONS

• SERVICING

53 EAST WALTON CHICAGO 11, III.
WHItehall 3-1166

• MASSACHUSETTS »

SOUND EQUIPMENT

THE LIETENINE POST

161 Newbury Street, Boston
New England's New Audio Center

Component* • Sytlem* • Tape

Telephone COpley 7-7330 for prompt free
del'veriet In our area

NEW JERSEY

Hi-Fi Components Exclusively

CREATIVE AUDIO

Design Installation Service
Studio 207 open until 10 P. M.

214 Glen-wood Ave., East Orange, N. J.

ORenge 6-5229

High-Fidelity House

Offering the World's Finest Home
Music Systems, created by experts
with years of experience.

High Fidelity is our only business —
not a sideline. Complete stock of every
worthwhile component at all times.

536 South Fair Oaks, Pasadena 1, Calif.
SY 5-411S RY I-SI7I

(S. ami SI. cfcheller sQ.

Iticago

cJ.r,. CTaOm.f c7n.foH«f,„^

£T*aturing • . •

T§] Jensen

J— 1 *J -ii.j ,1 JENSEN
^ COlDtD BOMB Im«»m»1«m
■mi iiu ii rrir- — — -— — — ~ - — —

FOR THE FINEST IN SOUND

ELECTRONIC CORP.

85 Monticello Ave. 401 Anderson Ave.
Jersey Cily, N. J. Fairview, N. J.

HE 5-5800 CL 6-9550

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

150

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

NEW YORK •

D«tign Sarvlca for Custom
High Fidelity ond T«l«.
vision Installations.

Horn* or Business.

PENNSYLVANIA continued

INTER-PLAN

167 E. 53rd St.
N. V. 22, N. V. PLaza 5-1240

^EXPORT MGRS. FOR?

American Selectifier Div., N. Y.
Regency Div. of I.D.E.A.
R.A.C. Voltage Boosters
Weathers Industries Inc..
★ ★ ★

ALL THE WORLD COMES TO:

jJIORPAT, Inc., 113 W. 42nd St, N. Y. C.

WHAT

makes you decide on your brand of magnetic
recording tape? Advertising claims, or per-
formance . , , t

Timpani Hi-Pi Tape, the tape for discriminat-
ing car*, invites you to try it, listen to it, com-
pare it. 7 in. Reel lists for $5.50. Trial offer:
4 reels, plus a copy of the pamphlet "How to
select your brand of Tape" $10 postpaid.

AETNA OPTIX 330 *- «•

N.W to* I, N. Y.

in the PHILADELPHIA area

YOUR COMPLETE SUPPLIER la

■m'iHM.it.ijjuuMEry

HIGH FIDELITY S COMMERCIAL
SOUND STUDIO
70V Arch SI., Phllodalphla *, Po.
Phona: LOnbard 1-7390

CANADA'S FIRST
HIGH - FIDELITY

■ ADIO, PHONOGRAPH, RECORD AND
TELEVISION CENTRE

StromberK-Carlson "Custom 400"
Hallicrafters Hi-Fi, Short Wave Si T-V
Fisher Radio — Concert one Tape Recorders
All Makes of Hi-Fidelity Records

Quiiotn Southland Vi&ixm ud.

390 EOUNTON WEST TORONTO, ONT.

Phone HUdaon 1-1119

IN CANADA—

There's one place where you can And — and
hear — all your high 'fidelity equipment needs.
We carry a complete stock . . . come in, or write
in, for a chat, a look, and a listen.

^LECTRO-ltolCE

^ SOUND SYSTEMS

141 Dumfcn S«., Wail. TORONTO

FREE

TO NEW MEMBERS OF THE

This Exquisite 6-Piece Set
Of Florentine Silver

Send no money now or later for this unusual Floren-
tine Silver Set. It's yours FREE for joining the
Around-theAVorld Shoppers Club. Your Set was
hand-made in Florence. Italy, with skilled techniques
going back to the time of Michelangelo. Each piece
has a different Renaissance design, and handles are
tooled in Florentine bas-relief. As a member, each
month you will receive a wonderful surprise gift sent
to you direct from a different foreign country. Post-
paid, duty-ftet— accompanied by a colorful brochure
describing your gift ! Send no money; simply write
us and we will enroll you, billing you as follows until
you decide to cancel: □ $V00 every 2 months;

□ $9.00 every 4 months; □ $12.00 every 6 months or

□ $22.00 every 12 months. Be sure to specify plan
you choose. Satisfaction guaranteed. Write now while
this Florentine Silver Set is FREE for joining.

AROUND -THE -WORLD SHOPPERS CLUB

Dept. 33-3F 71 Concord St., Newark S, N.J.

TANNOY SPEAKERS

AVAILABLE NEW YORK AREA

BOHN offers complete custom high
fidelity phonograph -radios. We
feature TANNOY loudspeakers
designed for MUSIC LISTENERS.
Hear a typical home installation.

BOHN MUSIC SYSTEMS

550 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. PL 7-S5S9

In tT estchrsler it's

fiilelity

CONSULTATIONS COMPONENTS
SERVICE CUSTOM INSTALLATIONS

2475 Canlrol Avanua Yonksri, N. Y.
SPancar 9-6400

• PENNSYLVANIA •

PHILADELPHIA'S only
Audio Haven

For Natural Sound. No shrieking
''Presence" here. Sales, Service,
Trades, Records, everything for the
music lover. Your satisfaction guar-
anteed!

LECTRONICS
City Una Canter Or. 7-9535

October, 1954

AUDIO FORUM

Continued from page 149

Home Music Systems — Canby.
Sound Reproduction — Briggs.
High Fidelity Simplified — Weiler

Sir:

You have a new subscriber with a
question. I would like to bridge a
corner of a room from floor to ceiling
with a sheet of plywood. Ceiling is
9 ft. high. Would plywood 4 ft. wide
be best for a 15-in. woofer, separate
middle and separate high-range
tweeter? How would you place them?
Place of sound-deadening pads?

Earl Gelesie

307 E. Fifth Avenue

Gary, Indiana

A four-foot sheet of plywood stretching
from floor to ceiling will certainly provide
enough volume for a most effective infinite
baffle. The woofer should be mounted not
more than 1 or 2 feet from the floor for
best results. Mid-range and high-frequency
speakers should be mounted close to each
other and at ear level (from seated posi-
tion) or slightly higher.

It may be permissible to mount the mid-

range speaker in the same cavity as the
woofer; the tweeter, if a cone-diaphragm
type, should be isolated in an enclosure all
its own. This can be achieved simply by
building a small box around the rear of
the tweeter, if it is necessary to mount it
on the same panel as the other speakers. If
the tweeter is of the horn type, of course,
no such precautions are required.

Sound-deadening material would prob-
ably be best applied to the entire surface of
one wall inside the enclosure. It would be
an excellent idea to brace the plywood
panel liberally with pieces of 2 by 4 glued
and screwed to the back surface. This meas-
ure will produce immensely cleaner sound;
the small extra effort will be repaid many
times over.

Sir:

I am passing this on to other music
lovers who get interested in the faithful
reproduction of music and consequent-
ly get involved in matters hi-fi.

About three months ago I decided
on components for my rig. I decided
on a Weathers Debonnaire player, a
Williamson-type ultra-linear amplifier
(which I wired up from a kit), and then
I went out to listen to speakers.
Continued on page 152

151

www.americanradiohistorv.com

to know
is what you like
in Music!

,• . •'* m

Chances are you're not a trained musi-
cian or an electronic engineer. But you
do want to hear and enjoy all of the
music you play on records, tape or radio.
RCA New Orthophonic High Fidelity is
designed for you . . . precision-built to
reproduce the length and breadth of
musical sound.

Finest component parts plug together
in ajiffy, fit easily into stunning cabinets.
No tinkering, no carpentry. And remem-
ber, the RCA name assures you years of
pleasant listening. RCA record changer,
stylus, amplifier, and speaker — ready to
assemble in your own cabinet or book-
case—for as little as $143.22* Sec and
hear them at your RCA dealer's.

'Suggfsltd mail Prices.

RCA record changers, radio tuners, amplifiers,
pre-amplifiers, speakers, tape recorders cabinets
and speaker enclosures can be assembled into any
one of 32 combinations to give the customized
music system of your choice.

RCA

Customized

HIGH FIDELITY

RADIO CORPORATION of AMERICA

AUDIO FORUM

Continued from page 15 1

I can't help but feel that a lot of
people are buying speakers because of
how they sound in a showroom! I

decided on a in a horn

enclosure, because it sounded clean
and exceptionally sharp on the highs.
In other words, it had a brilliant
clarity that no other speaker in its
price bracket seemed to have.

When I got the speaker home and
hooked it up, I thought that I had
heard a lot of shriekers but nothing to
match this.

I considered the possibility that the
front end was at fault, so I had the
player checked at the factory and had
the amplifier checked over very care-
fully for distortion. But these two
items were not at fault, so I got back
to the speaker. I had it checked and
it was not defective in any way — it
just had that shrieking sound that no
treble cut and bass boost could rectify.
I might add that I also got very little
bass of any audible consequence.

Then I changed the speaker for a

which only costs $10.50

more than the Mounted

in the same cabinet, I get fabulous
sounds.

I just want to pass along to other
readers one fact: Judge a speaker on
its smoothness and not on its brilli-
ance, because you can live with a
smooth speaker but living with a bril-
liant speaker can destroy your faith
in hi-fi.

Joseph H. Schwartz

318 W. Cumberland Street

Philadelphia 33, Pa.

Readers should remember that large
rooms need more brilliant speakers than
smaller rooms, and that heavily draped
and carpeted rooms require more brilliance
from speakers than "hard" rooms. It's
best to try a speaker at home before buying.

Sir:

I bought in 1940 the most expensive
radio in their cheapest cabinet made by
the Midwest Company of Cincinnati,
Ohio. It is a five-band AM with
record player. I have changed the
player to a Webster 3-speed changer.
The quality of the instrument was
better than average until hi fi came
along. Now the loudspeaker has de-
veloped a rattle.

I have thought I would add to it
an FM tuner and a very good modern
speaker system (I have a power tool

F.M. STATION
DIRECTORY

43,316 FREE HOURS!

Smmn Year, of 100% GOOD MUSIC «

10,000 WATTS at 1550 KC

"AUDIENCE", a mBlri •Klc-lrta ufaHM.
carries caapkti KE»R Mm— 12 kins SI

A FREE FM GUIDE from

l\XI\X

10.000 WATTS st 97.3 FM
No. 1 Nob Hill Circle SAN FRANCISCO

TWO

INDEPENDENT
FM STATIONS

KFML- FM

DENVER

KCMS • FM

COLORADO SPRINGS

programming to:

the professional audience

the Hi-Fi audience

always programming good music

98.5

104.9

A vast new world of High Fidelity
listening pleasure on ... .

"THE WORLD OF MUSIC"

U/DD FM 101.1 MEGACYCLES
W K K - T IYI 68,000 WATTS

DALLAS, TEXAS

broadcasting the finest in music and drama to
a select greater Dallas-Fort Worth audience.

(5j)

Conceived In high
fidelity

Nurtured on a quarter
million FM homes

Maturing with an unequalled
record in hi-fi advertiling

439 Concord Avenue
Cambridge, Mass.

152

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

DO-IT-YOURSELF

With These Perfect Companions

PRECISE

ULTRA PRE AMP KIT

Ideal Companion for +he
Ultra William* on Amplifier

Most modern circuitry. Seporote controls for
Bass Boost, Treble Boost and Roll-Off Volume.
Record compensation includes latest AES
curves. 4 separate Input jacks.
Filtering circuits. Shipping SI 9 95
weight 7 lbs. * 1

RES CO
ULTRA-LINEAR Williamson

AMPLIFIER KIT

FEATURING THE

ACRO TO-300

You can build the finest amplifier ever devel-
oped. Complete with all components, punched
chossis and full instructions that hove been
roted "clearest" and "easiest to follow" by
patt customers. A RESCO
EXCLUSIVE! Shipping weight $74*50

25 lbs.

Ultra Linear
Willi arm on

ACRO
TO-300

Transformer

The World's Finest Audio Oulput Transformer!
Response: ± I db. 10 cps. to 100 kc. Un-
distorted power: 30 cps. to 30 kc. for AO watts.
For use with KT 66"s, 5881 "s
or 807's. Shipping weight $24 75
7 lbs. ^

ACRO TO-310— Shipping Wt. 6 lbs $18.75

(TOO 10 used to change over 6V6 amplifier to
ultra-linear operation.)

ACRO TO-330— Shipping Wt. 17 lbs $39.75

(Push-pull parallel ultra-linear operation using
4 KT 66's, 5881 "s or 807's to deliver a power
output of 60 watts.)

Write for free HI-FI Catalog and spec sheets.

ORDER BY MAIi!

Send check or M.O. Include postage.

\D»pl B 7lh & Arch Sti., Phila. 6, Pa

wood-working shop). But I am in
a quandary as to whether or not it
is wise to build around the old mach-
ine.

J. H. Aiorgan
1 109 West Charles Street
Champaign, 111.

We feel that it would be unwise to at-
tempt modernization of a radio built
in 1940. High fidelity techniques have
far outstripped the capabilities of even
the best pre-war instruments. In a sound
system, you must remember that the com-
ponent of lowest quality is the determining
factor. The old adage of the weakest
link was never more true than when
applied to a hi-fi system.

Sir:

The wires in the last turns of my
dividing network coils cross over
each other in random fashion, rather
than lying in orderly rows. Also,
they are wound of bare rather than
wrapped or insulated wire — do these
factors affect the function of the coils?

V. W. Jensen, M. D.
S230 Littlefield
Detroit 28, Michigan

Your network coils are undoubtedly
wound with enameled copper wire. At
the low voltages these coils are sub-
jected to, this insulation is just as satis-
factory as cotton braid or plastic, pro-
vided the coils are not subjected to con-
tinuous rough treatment that might abrade
the enamel. Most dividing network coils
are wound with that type of wire, and
trouble from shorted turns is rare. The
method of winding is 0/ little practical
importance so long as the coil is reasonably
compact and .'ightiy wound.

TRADER'S MARKETPLACE
Here's the place to buy, swap, or sell
audio equipment. Rates are only 30c a
word (including address), and your ad-
vertisement will reach 50,000 to 100,000
music listeners. Remittance must accom- |
pany copy and insertion instructions.

In Central New York it's the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO
CENTER for found velvet in HI-FI. Listening Room
•locked with quolity components ot net prices. Custom
or commerciol cabinetry. Free assembly. Open even-
ings. 125 Cambridge Street. 72-9991.

BROCINER Model 4 Corner Horn, with latest and finest
speaker, retail $425, far $200. Moving, must sell this
unexcelled, unique system. LI 4-8079, N.Y.C.

TAPE RECORDERS, Topes, Accessories, unusual values.
Dressner, Box 66K, Peter Stuyvesant Station, N. Y. 9.

FM ANTENNAS. Broad bond Yagis and standard types.
Wholesale Supply Co., Lunenburg, Moss.

Hi-Fidelity plastic base recording tope, 1200 ft. on
?H In. plastic reel. $2.19 ea., 6 far $12.00. Hi Fi
Shop, 2 N. Howard St., Balto. 1, Md.

PRACTICALLY NEW ALTEC <20A SYSTEM $425.00.
NEW ALL PEERLESS WILLIAMSON AMP, DUP. CHASSIS
$•9.50. BOTH $485.00. DR. NICELY, NEWTON, OHIO.

says Harry Gmora,

One of America's outstanding Audio
Authorities — ABOUT

World Famous

BAKERS

"SeUuiStit"
LOUDSPEAKERS

Made in England

Mr. Gmora writes:

"The Bakers 'Selhurst' Reproducer
Model 300K, has displayed a standard
of quality that is as near perfect as I
have had the pleasure of hearing. In
its price range it is unsurpassed. The
loudspeaker is remarkable in its rela-
tively unpeaked performance, and its
smoothness over the audible range is as
surprising as it is delightful. The sta-
bility of the low end is, in truth, out-
standing. Credit for this, of course, is
due to the radiation of the exponential
cone and the cloth surround upon
which it is mounted. As a true repro-
ducer the Bakers 300K is superb — as
a woofer, it is as supple and resilient as
the broad surface of the tympani. Here
at Penny-Owsley's our critical music
lovers tell us that this is a new standard
of quality for which we have long been
waiting and — they're worth twice
the price."

MODEL

300K

Net

SPECIFICATIONS ]

12-in. 15 Watt
Triple Cone *De
Luxe'. CONE:
Exponential with
specially treated
Apex and re-entry
tweeter .

Frame — Strong

Aluminum

Casting.
Suspension

Cloth.
Cone — 9%
Impedance —

15 ohms.
Fundamental Re-

sonance — (approx.) 35 c.p.s.
Frequency Range — 20-17000 c.p.s.
Flux Density — 15000 lines /sq. cm.
Peak Input — 1 5 Wetts. Voice Coil — 1 >4 ins.
Overall Diameter — 14 1/8 ins.
Overall depth • 6>£ in. Fixing Centres - 13H in.

Tropicalized Against Dust, Rust and Dampness

Available at
ARROW ELECTRONICS, INC.

82 Cortlandt Street. New York
DANBY RADIO CORP..
19 So. 21st Street. Philadelphia. Pa.
PENNY-OWSLEY MUSIC CO.,
3330 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif
and leading High Fidelity Distributors
throughout America.

HAROLD GORDON AGENCIES

sole United States Agents

1506 North Western Avenue
Los Angeles 27, Calif.

October, 1954

i53

www.americanradiohistorv.com

ONLY THE

1 New

| Gives You ALL This (
| in 1 Chassis 1

2
3

20 WATT TRI-LINEAR, or 10
WATT TRIODE OPERATION

SELF-CONTAINED PRE-
AMPLIFIER and CONTROLS

4-POSITION RECORD
COMPENSATOR

Mod.l 60-fG

*995?

Backed by many years ci
Grammes research and develop-
ment. Precision constructed lo pro*
vide audiophiles with the best
high fidelity equipment at the low-
est price possible.
Power Output — Tri*Linear 20 watts.
30 watts peak; Triode 10 watts, 20
watts peak.

Distortion — .5% harmonic and 1.5%
intermodulation at 20 watts.
Frequency Response — — 0.5DB. 15
to 50,000 CPS.

Power Response — - l.DB. 20 to
20.000 CPS at 20 watts.
Damping Factor — 10.
Rumble Switch, loudness switch,
tape output.

Terminal Board Construction — High-
est quality components.
Adjustable Control Panel — Finished
in rich brown and gold.

See Nearest Hl-fl Jobber or Send Coupon

$ DIVISION Of PRfC/SfON f lECTRON/CS, INC.
J* 9101-Hg King St., Franklin Parle, III.

9101-Hg King St., Franklin Park, III.
RUSH FREE NEW BULLETIN

^ Name

Address-
City

_Z one S la le_

pwM/ caiftjf/fje
evek clebuf nerf

WEATHERS FM
CAPACITANCE CARTRIDGE

Until recently the Weathers
cartridge has been used chiefly by
professional audio engineers and
technical hobbyists. Now all
music lovers can experience its
full range, flawless reproduction.
Enjoy the freedom from record
damaging pressures and heat
generated by conventional pickups
which are 6 to 15 times heavier
than the Weathers 1 gram pickup.
Thrill to the difference that
this outstanding pickup can make
in your high fidelity system. Ask
your dealer for a demonstration.

Dept. 9

Compare the Weathers with
any other cartridge,
regardless of price:

GREATEST COMPLIANCE:
14 x 10-6 centimeters per dyne
LOWEST DYNAMIC MASS:
1 milligram
WIDEST RANGE:
15 lo 20.000 eyelet ± 2 db, equalized
LOWEST TRACKING PRESSURE:
I gram vertical ttylus force
LEAST CROSS MODULATION DISTORTION:
Well under 2%
Includes a sable brush ohead of the slylus to clean
away damaging dust and dirt . . . and a permanently
installed movable guard which prevents damage to
the stylus plate.

Ask your dealer about these other
quality Weathers products:
Reproducer Tone Arms Oscillator
Stylus Plates Power Supply

"Deboo noire" Hi Fi Record Pre-Amplifier

Player Stylus Pressure Gauge

High Fidelity Music Record

Write for free catalog and technical information.
• 66 E. Gloucester Pike • Barrington, N. J.

Mow. available direct to- c&rtAMmeb

LANG

SPEAKER SYSTEM

N. Y. Times — "Remarkable"
Cyrus Durgin, Music Reviewer, Boston Globe — "Sounds terrific — clear
and free from top to bottom — amazingly good"
John Thornton, Station Manager, WXHR — "Unbelievable results"
Stan Kenton, Capitol Records — "Best I have ever beard"

3o-W

25 cps co 17,000 cps
3o Waccs

29 in. x 27 in. x 16 in.
L type, 200 cps and

5,000 cps
single twccccr
single mid ranger
single Lang "SONOCEL"

bass unit
Hand Rubbed Mahogany

or Blonde
8 ohms
— $199.95

UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED
Sorry — no COD. All Shipments Prepaid, Send Check or Money Order to:

LANG & TAYLOR INC. 100 FELTON ST. WALTHAM, MASS.

In Canada: B-W MANUFACTURING LTD., 188 KING STREET, LONDON, ONTARIO

Frequency Response
Power Handling
Size

Crossover
Drivers

Cabinet
Impedance

15-W

25 cps to 17,000 cps
15 Watts

23 in. x 25 in. x 16 in.
L type, 200 cps and

5,000 cps
two tweeters
cwo mid range
rwo Lang "SONOCEL'

bass units
Hand Rubbed Mahogany

or Blonde
4 ohms

Direct Consumer Frice — $119.95

154

High Fidelity Magazine

www.americanradiohistorv.com

ADVERTISING INDEX

Aetna Optix 151

Allied Radio Corp 10

American Elite, Ine 144

Ampex Corp 12

Apparatus Co 122

Around-the-World Shoppers Club 151

Arrow Electronics 147

Asiatic Corp 30

Audak Co 6, 7

Audio Devices, Inc Inside Front Cover

Audio Exchange, Inc 118

Audio League, The 146

Audiogersh Corp 109

Audiophile Records 98

Audio Workshop, Inc 150

A-V Tape Libraries 91

B & C Recording, Inc 99

Bakers Selhursl Loudspeakers 153

Bell Sound Systems, Inc 28

Bogen, David, Co., Inc 21

Bohn Music Systems 151

Boston Records 96

Boosey & Hawkes, Inc 99

Bozak, R. T. Co 22

Brandywine House 99

British Industries Corp 1, 124

Brooklyn High Fidelity Sound Center. . .145
Brociner Electronic Lob 34

Califone Corp 136

Capital Records Back Cover, 79

Centralab 141

Colloro 31

Columbia Records, Inc 81, 92, 93

Commissioned Electronics Co 150

Cook Laboratories, Inc 95

Concertone Recorders, Berlant Associates. 102

Contemporary American Furniture 150

Cox, Hal, Custom Music 150

Creative Audio Associates 150

Crestwood Recorder Division 114

Custom Hi-Fi 150

Custom Sound & Vision, Ltd 146, 151

Daystrom Electric Corp 114

deHaan Hi-Fi 150

Disc-O-Foam Corp 124

Dublin's 99

Duotone 29

Eby Sales Co 148

Electronic Expediters 150

Electro-Sonic Laboratories, Inc 116

Electro-Voice, Inc 100, 101

Electro-Voice Sound Systems 151

Elektra Records 99

Espey Mfg. Co 42

Fairchild Recording & Eqpt. Corp 127

Federal Mfg. & Engineering Corp 144

Ferranti Electric, Inc 156

Fisher Radio Corp 37, 39, 41, 43

Fleetwood Television (Conrac, Inc.). ... 133

Freed-Eisemann Electronics 148

FM Station Directory 152

General Electric Co 24

Gray Research & Development Co., Inc.. . 23

Hack Swain Productions 99

Hallmark Electronic Corp 150

Hartley, H. A., Co., Inc 156

Harvey Radio Co., Inc 134

High-Fidelity House 150

High House 99

Hollywood Electronics 150

Interelectronics Corp 32, 99

International Electronics 38

Inter-plan 151

Jensen Mfg. Co 17, 18, 19, 20

KCMS, KFML 152

KEAR 152

Kierulff Sound Corp 150

KHpsch Associates 142, 143

Krai Products 147

Laboratory of Electronic Engineering ... 156

Lang & Taylor 154

Lansing, James B., Sound, Inc 115

Lectronics 151

Leonard Radio, Inc 137

Leslie Creations 99

Listening Post, The 150

London Records 90

Lyrichord Discs, Inc 99

Magnavox Co 13

Magnecord Inc 16

Magnetic Recorder & Reproducer Corp.. . 97

Marantz, S. B 145

Marion Products 97

McGahan, Don, Inc 146

Mcintosh Laboratory, Inc 26, 27, 44, 83

Mercury Record Corp 96

Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co 15

Music Box 98

Musical Masterpiece Society, Inc 5

Nagel, Arthur, Inc 150

National Company 110, 111

Newcomb Audio Products 8, 9

Norpat Sales, Inc 151

Omega Electronics. . .
Orradio Industries, Inc.

Pedersen Electronics...

Pentron Corp

Permo, Inc

Permoflux Corp

Pickering & Co., Inc.. . .

Pilot Radio Corp

Precision Electronics, In
Professional Directory .

. 150,

. 94
.113

. 128
. 125
. 140
.132
2

. 129
.154
151

RAM Co 149

R & B Electronics 149

RCA Engineering Products 152

RCA-Victor Division 76, 77

Radio Electric Service Co 151, 153

Radio Craftsmen, Inc 14

Radio Engineering Laboratories, Inc.. . . .126

Radio Shack Corp 36

Rouland-Borg Corp 138

Record Market 99

Reeves Sound craft Corp 40

Regency n

Rek-O-Kul Co 33

River Edge Industries 138

Sams, Howard W. & Co., Inc 135

Scheller, E. & R 150

Scott, Herman Hosmer, Inc. ..117, 119, 121

Shure Brothers, Inc 148

Sound Unlimited 1 50

Stephens Mfg. Corp 25

Tannoy, Ltd 147

Tech-Masters Products Co 141

Technical Tape 123

Terminal Radio Corp 131, 139

Thorens Co 4

Traders' Marketplace 153

Transcriber Co 140

United Transformer Co Inside Back Cover

Urania Records, Inc 95

Vanguard Recording Society, Inc 88

V-M Corp 35

Voice & Vision, Inc 150

Vax Productions, Inc 87

WRR-FM 152

WXHR . ..}S2

Walco (Electrovox Co., Ine.) 136

Weathers Industries 154

Weingarten Electronic Laboratories 150

Westlab 151

Westminster Recording Co 79

White, Stan, Inc 130

World Rodio Laboratories 155

Zenith Radio Corp 1 20

CAPITALIZE ON OUR

OFFER)

YES, YOUR PRESENT
SOUND EQUPMENT IS

WORTH MONEY

TO YOU ON NEW, HIGH-
FIDELITY COMPONENTS!

Would you like to replace your present
found tyilem for something a little better?
. . . with greater fidelity? ... but feel fhof
the expense might be too great.

Then let World Radio help yau.

f * £

The trade* in value onyeur equipment will
surprise youl And We^coW High Fidelity
Component!; — speokers/omplifiers, turn-
tables, pre-amps and accessories; — from
some of the most "ip*£te£, manufacturers
in the industry.

We offer you the listening pleasure of your
choice of equipment NOW^for only 10%
down poymenf, and up to^jfahteen nonths
for the bolance. f#%

•i lew do*

Yes, high trade-in value, low down pay-
ment, ond immediate PERSONALIZED serv-
ice are our selling points! *Send In our
coupon today) Let us fell you our complete
story. You con't losel

SEND FOR
OUR FREE

1 955

CATALOG...

OVER li.COO 1TEMSV
IN THE HIGH-FIDELITY
PtADICJ. TELEVISION
AHtt ELECTRONIC
FIELD I

AOIO

COUNCIL ftLUFFS, IOWA
PHONE 2-VZTT

WORLD RADIO LABORATORIES, DEPT. 10
3415 WEST BROADWAY— COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA
PLEASE SEND ME:

□ FREE Hi-Fi Package Information

□ FREE 1955 RADIO-TV CATALOG.

D I'm interested in

—What will you allow me

(Present System - Model, Make, Etc. I

ADDRESS-
CITY

October, 1954

www.americanradiohistorv.com

THE

fins1

MAJOR ADVANCE
in a Decade!!

THE

LABORATORY of ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING

presents
in

r |

NOW

THE ULTIMATE IN
RECORD REPRODUCTION

PRICED AT A MODERATE $295

CATENOID

A THREE WAY CORNER
HORN SYSTEM

Built if CtifUteeM.

WRITE FOR INFORMATION TO

f^fc LABORATORY of ELEC-

HT9 TRONIC ENGINEERING,

19 INC.

413 L ST., N. W, WASHINGTON, D. C.

FERRANTI

• Ferranti is proud to introduce this high performance
pickup designed by D. T. N, Williamson.

Clearly destined to earn the same enthusiastic
approval as the world famous Williamson Amplifier,
its brilliant realism of reproduction is matched by the
quiet elegance of its style.

Precision manufacture insures continued full fidel-
ity from your favorite records, with extremely low
distortion and negligible record wear.

EXCLUSIVE FERRANTI DESIGN FEATURES: Low mass high
compliance ribbon movement • Unequalled tracing accu-
racy * Arm resonance removed from audible range *
Elliptical Diamond Stylus • Self-Protecting Stylus Suspen-
sion • Double Ball Race Arm Bearing • Built-in Arm Rest

FERRANTI ELECTRIC • INC

30 Rockefeller Plaza New York 20, N. Y.

FOR YOUR OWN

HIGH FIDELITY
SOUND SYSTEM

The New WEARITE TAPEDECK

Another example of the advanced state of the audio art in England, the Wearite
tapedeck fills a long awaited need in this country. The high fidelity enthusiast
can easily adapt his basic tape mechanism to his own quality sound system
without duplicating power amplifier and speaker.

The Wearite tapedeck has three 6o cycle AC motors: One Hysteresis synchron-
ous fot RECORD and PLAYBACK (speed regulation: 0.5*), and two 4-pole
induction motors for REWIND and FAST FORWARD.

Other features include: • 3 heads: RECORD, PLAYBACK, and ERASE
• Response: 50 to 12,000 cycles • Wow and Flutter: less than
0.2* • Speeds: iVt and lVi inches/sec. • Capacity: 1200 feet
(7'/$" reel) • Dual Track

Complete with special components for constructing

bias oscillator » i>

Tapedeck alone $195

156

Write for complete descriptive data and specifications to Dept. DK-i

H. A. HARTLEY CO., INC.

521 Eill 162nd Street, Broni 51, N. V.

In Water* StaUe: Western Audio Lid., HS7 Telegraph Are., Berkeley i, Cut,

High Fidelity Magazini;

www.americanradiohistorv.com

LINEAR STANDARD
AMPLIFIER

FREQUENCY RESPONSE CURVE*

The Linear Standard amplifier climaxes a project
assigned to our audio engineering group a year ago. The
problem was, why does a Williamson circuit amplifier which
tests beautifully in the laboratory seem to have consider-
able distortion in actual use? It took a year to fully deter-
mine the nature and cause of these distortions and the
positive corrective measures. This new amplifier not only
provides for full frequency response over the audio range
but, in addition, sets a new standard for minimum transient
distortion.

An inherent weakness of the Williamson circuit lies
in the fact that its negative feedback becomes positive at
subsonic and ultrasonic frequencies. The resultant insta-
bility in use lends to parasitic oscillation at the high end
and large -subaudio cone excursions both of which produce
substantial distortions. The Linear Standard Amplifier uses
Multiple Loop Feedback and network stabilization to com-
pletely eliminate these instabilities. The oscillograms below
show comparative performance. The flat frequency response
and extremely low intermodulation distortion provided by
36 db feedback, are self evident from the curves shown.

In addition to providing an ideal amplifier electrically,
considerable thought was given to its physical form. A
number of points were considered extremely important: (1)
Size should be minimum (power and audio on one chassis).
(2) Each kit must have identical characteristics to lab
model. (3) Rugged, reliable, structure is essential.

This resulted in a rather unique construction employ-
ing a printed circuit panel as large as the chassis with
virtually all components pre assembled and wired. The
result is that each kit, which comes complete, including
tubes and cover, can be fully pretested before shipment.
Additional wiring involves only the connection of 17 leads
to screw terminals for completion.

LINEAR STANDARD TYPE MLF
AMPLIFIER SPECIFICATIONS...

COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE

Rated Power Output:

Intermodulation Distortion:

Frequency Response (controlled):.

Hum & Noise Leveh_

Feedback:-

Output impedances (not critical):...

Tubesi

Dimensions & weight:.
Net Prlcel

20 Watts

07%-lW, 1%-20W

1 db 20 to 20,000 cycles
-.80 db below rated output

36 db

_4, 8, 16

LINEAR STANDARD

WILLIAMSON TYPE

High frequency
oscillation stability.
Average speaker wiring
capacity.

Overload recovery
transients.

also 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 ohms

. I-I2AX7 2-6AU6, 2-5881, 1-5V4G

5V4" x 8" x 17'/i", 24 lbs.

$108.00

The Sound and The Jury

Destroy a record master? Scrap the perform-
ance ol a great artist- -the painstaking collab-
oration of a hundred musicians, a renowned
director, outstanding producers and highly
skilled engineers?

Of course! And we have done it — not once, but
often during the past 3 years.

Why? Because we know it's better to destroy
many masters than to allow one slightly disap-
pointing record to enter your local record shop
bearing the Full Dimensional Sound symbol.

Nothing is more fragile than a reputation for
matchless beauty. Nothing is more fragile, and
to Capitol, nothing is more precious than the
reputation of Full Dimensional Sound for in-
comparable high fidelity.

To protect that reputation, each FDS record
must pass a series of scrupulous tests by a jury
of engineers and musical directors. Approach-
ing their judgment with jealousy, they rate the
recording for background noise, electrical and
acoustic distortion, frequency and dynamic
range, separation, musical balance and per-
formance. Unless on all scores it is breathtak-
ingly superb, it will never be released by Capitol
under the FDS symbol.

Let your own ears judge. As a jury of one, listen
to a Full Dimensional Sound recording . . .
listen and hear for yourself that the record
bearing the FDS symbol fulfills your every
expectation of inspiring beauty, incomparable
high fidelity.

Consult Your Record Dealer /or Complete Repertoire of Capitol FDS Classics and Latest Releases

All Full
Dimensional Sound t
records come to \
you In Inner j;
Protective Envelope. '

Incomparable High Fidelity
in Full Dimensional Sound

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